Experimental testing and design model for bent FRP anchors exhibiting fiber rupture failure mode

Abstract

The implementation of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) anchors in Externally Bonded Fiber Reinforced Polymer (EBR-FRP) systems is an effective method to increase the bond strength and/or ensure the continuity of the load path between FRP materials and the concrete substrate when EBR-FRP systems are used to strengthen and/or repair existing structures. Multiple design examples of EBR-FRP systems exist in the literature, and design guidelines have been compiled in several countries. However, currently these design guidelines do not specifically include guidance on the design of FRP anchors. This lack of design guidance is one of the main impediments to widespread implementation of FRP anchors in the civil engineering industry. The present study reports an experimental program consisting of 32 bent FRP anchor specimens of different sizes and widths that was undertaken to characterize the behavior of bent FRP anchors when the fiber rupture failure mode is exhibited. A design methodology for the mean value and for the lower bound characteristic values (95 and 99.87 percentile equations) is proposed and the reliability of the methodology is assessed.