Plastic hinge relocation in RC joints as an alternative method of retrofitting using FRP

Abstract

The efficiency of fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) in enhancing the performance of deficient reinforced concrete (RC) joints has been investigated in recent years. Relocating plastic hinge from the column face toward the beam is an effective method of upgrading RC beam–column joints. This retrofitting approach might also prevent the formation of undesirable brittle joint failure. In this paper, the numerical results of analysing three FRP retrofitted RC joints are compared in order to investigate the effectiveness of FRP composites in improving the performance of the beam to column joints through the relocation of the plastic hinges away from the joint core. Different configurations of FRP application, including a novel retrofitting scheme at beam–column joints, are assessed and the efficiency of each composite architecture in relocating the plastic hinge is discussed. The results show that the newly proposed configuration is not only capable of relocating plastic hinges and improving the load carrying capacity of the joints but is also capable of preventing the typical interface failure.