Fibre-reinforced polymer strengthening of substandard lap-spliced reinforced concrete members: A comprehensive survey

Externally bonded Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) confinement is extensively used to improve the bond strength of substandard lap spliced steel bars embedded in reinforced concrete (RC) components. However, the test results from bond tests on such bond-deficient components are not fully conclusive, which is reflected in the few design guidelines available for FRP strengthening. For the first time, this article presents a comprehensive survey on FRP strengthening of substandard lap-spliced RC members, with emphasis on the adopted experimental methodologies and analytical approaches developed to assess the effectiveness of FRP in controlling bond-splitting failures. The main findings and shortcomings of previous investigations are critically discussed and further research needs are identified. This review contributes towards the harmonisation of testing procedures so as to facilitate the development of more accurate predictive models, thus leading to more cost-effective strengthening interventions

Nonlaminated FRP Strap Elements for Reinforced Concrete, Timber, and Masonry Applications

Advances in material technology allow for the exploration of new structural forms and systems. In recent years, fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) have emerged as candidate materials for civil engineering applications, and the use of FRPs in construction has been an area of growing interest. Unidirectional high-strength FRPs are well-suited for use as tensioning elements, but anchorage details present a challenge. An alternative is to self-anchor the FRP tensioning element by winding thin layers of material around supports and then laminating all the layers together (a laminated strap) or by securing only the outermost layer to form a closed outer loop while the inner layers remain nonlaminated (a nonlaminated strap). Nonlaminated FRP straps have been found to have higher efficiencies than equivalent laminated straps, which is advantageous in high-tension applications. The suitability of nonlaminated FRP straps for use as unbonded tension elements provides scope for use in new construction and for the strengthening of existing structures. A review of nonlaminated carbon FRP strap system properties and applications in the context of reinforced concrete, timber, and masonry structures is presented.This is the accepted version of the original publication in the Journal of Composites for Construction (http://cedb.asce.org/cgi/WWWdisplay.cgi?278007), which is available here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/%28ASCE%29CC.1943-5614.0000076. © American Society of Civil Engineer

Concrete beams with externally bonded flexural FRP-reinforcement: analytical investigation of debonding failure

This paper studies the problem of early concrete cover delamination and plate-end failure of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with externally bonded FRP-reinforcement. The accuracy of analytical models and finite element (FE) methods for predicting this type of failure is assessed against published experimental data. Two design approaches based on the maximum concrete tensile strength and the shear capacity of concrete beams were examined first and it was found that linear elastic analysis cannot accurately predict the brittle plate-end concrete failure. It was also found that the extent of strengthening that can be achieved is limited by the shear capacity of concrete beams. The FE analysis is used to examine the effects of internal tensile reinforcement on the magnitude of principal tensile stresses in the critical region. The non-linear behaviour of FRP-strengthened beams is also examined in the FE analysis using the smeared crack model for concrete which is shown to adequately display the inelastic deformation of the beam. Finally, the mixed mode of failure due to the combined shear and concrete cover delamination is addressed through modelling plate-end and shear crack discontinuities using the discrete crack approach

Seismic Retrofitting of RC Buildings Using CFRP and Post-Tensioned Metal Straps: Shake Table Tests

This article examines the effectiveness of two innovative retrofitting solutions at enhancing the seismic behaviour of a substandard reinforced concrete building tested on a shake table as part of the Pan-European funded project BANDIT. To simulate typical substandard construction, the reinforcement of columns and beam-column joints of the full-scale structure had inadequate detailing. An initial series of shake table tests were carried out to assess the seismic behaviour of the bare building and the effectiveness of a first retrofitting intervention using Post-Tensioned Metal Straps. After these tests, columns and joints were repaired and subsequently retrofitted using a retrofitting solution consisting of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers and Post-Tensioned Metal Straps applied on opposite frames of the building. The building was then subjected to unidirectional and three-dimensional incremental seismic excitations to assess the effectiveness of the two retrofitting solutions at improving the global and local building performance. The article provides details of the above shake table testing programme and retrofitting solutions, and discusses the test results in terms of the observed damage, global damage indexes, performance levels and local strains. It is shown that whilst the original bare building was significantly damaged at a peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 0.15g, the retrofitted building resisted severe three-dimensional shake table tests up to PGA=0.60g without failure. Moreover, the retrofitting intervention enhanced the interstorey drift ratio capacity of the 1st and 2nd floors by 160% and 110%, respectively. Therefore, the proposed dual retrofitting system is proven to be very effective for improving the seismic performance of substandard buildings

Novel prefabricated panels for the repair of damaged interior RC beam-column joints

A novel prefabricated panel is introduced for the repair and strengthening of damaged interior RC beam-column joints. This prefabricated hybrid composite plate (HCP) is made of a Strain Hardening Cementitious Composite (SHCC) reinforced with CFRP materials. Besides the higher durability of this system when compared to EB-FRP, thanks to the high ductility of the SHCC, anchors can be used in combination with adhesive to attach the HCP to the concrete substrate. The first section of this paper reports the methodologies to apply HCP for the repair of two severely damaged interior RC beam-column systems. To evaluate the performance of this rehabilitation technique, the repaired specimens were subjected to the same loading pattern as it was imposed to their virgin states. Since both repaired specimens showed a higher lateral load and energy dissipation capacities than the corresponding values in their undamaged state, the effectiveness of the HCP for the repair of damaged interior beam-column joints is proved.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

A realistic full CFRP retrofit of RC beam-column joints compared to seismically designed specimen

The brittle collapse of reinforced concrete (RC) structures built before the introduction of detailed seismic design codes (pre- 1970’s) in recent earthquakes, has underlined the need for significant upgrades to the existing RC building stock. In particular, the observation of weak-column/strong-beam mechanisms has potentially catastrophic impacts that could be addressed by retrofit solutions. Retrofits with fibre reinforced polymers (FRP) have become increasingly popular and experimental evidence for their effectiveness can be found in the literature. The lack of tests on full-scale specimens with slabs and transverse beams in many studies may however lead to an unrealistic assessment of FRP retrofit schemes. In this study, three realistic full-scale interior beam-column joints with slab and transverse beams are tested under cyclic loading in order to propose and assess practical FRP retrofit solutions. A complete Carbon FRP (CFRP) retrofit strategy aiming to obtain a similar performance to a specimen designed to modern European design guidelines (Eurocode 8) is presented. The retrofit scheme is composed of selective strengthening and weakening components to ensure ductile failure of the specimen according to capacity design principles. Results from full-scale cyclic tests on the CFRP retrofitted specimen are compared to the behaviour of a deficient, pre-1970’s design specimen and a specimen designed to modern guidelines. The observed failure mechanisms and global lateral capacities for the Eurocode 8 and retrofitted specimen show that the CFRP retrofit is effective in improving seismic behaviour. By means of a combined selective weakening and strengthening scheme, a change in hierarchy of strengths can be achieved, which leads to an improved ductile behaviour with significant strength enhancement. The results suggest that a CFRP retrofit scheme can be devised for realistic, significantly under-designed structures in order to achieve a similar performance to modern RC structures designed to sophisticated seismic guidelines