This paper shows a study carried out on the estimation of nominal flexural strength for CFRP-plated RC beams failed by intermediate crack debonding. A strength reduction factor is proposed to consider the effect of the intermediate crack debonding for the determination of nominal flexural strength. The proposed factor is derived from experimental data and utilizes the ratio of effective stress(or strain) in the CFRP plate to its ultimate strength(or strain) which is called effective strain model. An analytical equation for the estimation of the nominal flexural strength is formulated as a function of strength reduction factor. The validity, accuracy and efficiency of the proposed factor are established by comparing the analytical results with the experimental data, and the major design codes, as well as a number of factors given by researchers. The analytical results presented in this paper indicate that the proposed factor can effectively estimate the flexural nominal strength of CFRP-plated reinforced concrete beams failed by intermediate crack debonding.