Structural Retrofit of Reinforced Concrete Circular Columns using CFRP

Abstract

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have developed numerous applications in the field of Civil Engineering, mostly because of their beneficial properties like high strength-to=weight ratio and high corrosion resistance. This study presents an easy and expedient finite element (FE) able to accurately estimate the axial load carrying capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) circular columns confined with externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets. The element is able to model collapse due to concrete crushing. The FE generated in this study is used the load carrying capacity of CFRP confined RC columns subjected to concentric loading. Constitutive models for materials (concrete, steel, CFRP) present in the literature and made available by different authors were used to form numerical simulations. These simulations are compared with experimental results from tests conducted and ACI and NCHRP design guidelines. The present research work is both experimental and simulation. In this way the efficiency of CFRP wraps as strengthening material can be well corroborated by three means.