Experimental study on debonding and buckling of externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer sheets in compression

Abstract

Although the compressive strength of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) sheets is neglected in the design of FRP-retrofitted Reinforced Concrete (RC) elements, they may be subjected to compressive stress in some load combinations. In the present study, an experimental study is conducted to investigate the behavior of externally bonded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) sheets in compression. The experimental program is carried out in two phases. First, the behavior of CFRP strips bonded on concrete cylinders and subjected to pure compressive load is assessed. At this stage, the influence of concrete compressive strength, the dimensions of CFRP strips (thickness, width, and free length), and the type of adhesive used for bonding CFRP strips on the concrete surface, on the behavior of CFRP strips in compression are investigated. According to the test results, the FRP strips bonded with weak resin exhibit debonding failure and simultaneously buckle at a relatively low compressive strain, while CFRP strips bonded with stronger adhesive do not exhibit debonding failure in compression until concrete crushing. The behavior of CFRP strips bonded on reinforced concrete (RC) beams subjected to compressive stress due to bending moment is investigated in the second phase of this study. For this purpose, nine RC beams with the same dimensions and reinforcement detailing are fabricated and retrofitted using CFRP strips with different configurations. Four-point bending test is conducted at this stage of the experimental program. The results of the bending tests show that debonding failure and buckling of CFRP strips are observed in specimens with relatively thick CFRP sheets (3 and 4-layer) and larger free lengths.