Abstract
Considering the deteriorating state of the infrastructure worldwide and the limited resources available for repair and rehabilitation of constructed facilities, it is imperative to find effective and economical techniques to revive the aging infrastructure. In this paper, the utilization of modern materials such as fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) for strengthening and rehabilitation of concrete and masonry structures is presented. Three different applications of FRPs will be discussed. In one application, composite plates are epoxy bonded to the soffit of girders to increase their ultimate strength. The results of an analytical and experimental study on ten 4.88 m long girders indicate that significant strength gains can be achieved with this retrofitting technique. In the second study, FRP straps are used as external confinement for enhancing seismic response of concrete bridge columns. Ten columns were subjected to simulated earthquake loading. The results of the hysteresis loops of retrofitted columns, when compared to those for unretrofitted control specimens, revealed gain in ductility level of up to four times. In the third study, composite fabrics were epoxy bonded to the faces of unreinforced masonry walls to improve their in-plane and out-of-plane responses during seismic loading. Significant improvements in the behavior were also observed for this technique.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 327-335 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Construction and Building Materials |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 5-6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1997 |
Keywords
- Concrete
- Masonry
- Rehabilitation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Building and Construction
- General Materials Science