Debonding Failure Research Articles

Bending performance of RC slabs strengthened by CFRP sheets using sprayed UHTCC as bonding layer: Experimental study and theoretical analysis

Debonding failure is one of the main drawbacks of reinforced concrete (RC) structures strengthened with externally bonded (EB) fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) systems. Due to the huge application potential of sprayed ultra-high toughness cementitious composite (UHTCC) in strengthening and retrofit, this study, with the aim of delaying or preventing intermediate crack-induced debonding of EB FRP sheets, experimentally and analytically investigated the flexural behavior of RC slabs strengthened by EB CFRP sheets with sprayed UHTCC as bonding layers, which has been rarely reported in previous research works. For this purpose, five RC slabs with low strength concrete and low reinforcement ratio, including one control specimen and four strengthened specimens repaired by EB CFRP sheets with sprayed UHTCC as bonding layers, were manufactured and tested under four-point bending load. Variable parameters in the four strengthened specimens included the thickness (10 mm, 20 mm, and 30 mm) and length (600 mm and 900 mm) of the sprayed UHTCC bonding layer. The experimental results indicated that the specimens strengthened by EB FRP sheets with sprayed UHTCC as bonding layers experienced higher load-bearing capacity (24.43 %–120.92 %) and toughness (43.15 %–166.14 %), compared to the control specimen. The thickness of the UHTCC bonding layer had a significant effect on the structural performance. By increasing the thickness from 10 mm to 20 mm and from 20 mm to 30 mm, the ultimate load was enhanced by 32.69 % and 33.81 %, while the ultimate deflection was decreased by 14.99 % and 41 %, respectively. The test findings also showed that sprayed UHTCC had a strong cracking-control ability and that no debonding failure occurred between the UHTCC layer and the CFRP sheet, while interface slip was observed between the concrete substrate and the UHTCC layer. The sectional analysis method was then used to propose an analytical model for analyzing the composite action between the concrete substrate and the strengthening material, as well as a model for predicting the load-bearing capacity of strengthened specimens. Comparing the analytical results to the experimental ones revealed that the proposed models can properly predict the flexural behavior of RC slabs strengthened by EB CFRP sheets with sprayed UHTCC as bonding layers under four-point bending load.

Fatigue delamination behavior in composite laminates at different stress ratios and temperatures

This study provides an investigation on mode I fatigue delamination growth (FDG) with fibre bridging at different R-ratios and temperatures in carbon-fibre reinforced polymer composites. FDG experiments were first conducted at different temperatures of R-ratios 0.1 and 0.5 via unidirectional double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens. A fatigue model, employing both the strain energy release rate (SERR) range and the maximum SERR around crack front as similitude parameter, was proposed to interpret FDG behavior. The use of this model can collapse FDG data with fibre bridging at different R-ratios into one master curve, obeying well with the similitude principles. Accordingly, it was found that FDG can accelerate with elevated temperature, but decrease at sub-zero temperature. Furthermore, there are strong correlations between the fatigue model parameters and temperature using this model in FDG interpretations. Taking these correlations into account can extend the model to accurately predict FDG behavior of other temperatures. Fractographic examinations demonstrated that temperature has effects on the FDG damage mechanisms. Both fibre/matrix interfacial debonding and matrix brittle failure were observed in FDG of −40℃. Fibre/matrix interfacial debonding becomes the dominant failure in FDG of RT and 80℃. No obvious difference on the fracture morphology was identified for FDG at different R-ratios of a given temperature.

Prestress loss and flexural behavior of precracked RC beams strengthened with FRP/SMA composites

This paper explored a kind of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP)/shape memory alloy (SMA) composite prestressed strengthening system, and studied the prestress loss and flexural behavior of precracked reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with FRP/SMA composites by experiments. In the experiment, the length ratio of SMA wires to FRP sheets, the type of FRP sheets, and the area ratio of SMA wires to FRP sheets were selected as the main parameters. The prestress loss test results indicated that the elongation of FRP sheets in the strengthening zone, relative slip between SMA wires and FRP sheets, and crack closure are the main causes of prestress loss in beams strengthened with FRP/SMA composites. Among these, the prestress loss caused by the elongation of FRP sheets in the strengthening zone accounted for a significant proportion of the total loss, while the remaining two losses accounted for a minor proportion. The increase of the length ratio of SMA wires to FRP sheets could effectively reduce the prestress loss due the decrease of SMA shrinkage strain. The type of FRP sheets in the strengthening zone affected the prestress loss mainly by affecting the elongation of FRP sheets. The area ratio of SMA wires to FRP sheets influenced the total recovery force level. The prestress loss mainly occurred within 12 h (initial curing of epoxy resin) after thermal activation of SMA wires, and then the prestress loss was small in the following 60 h (complete curing of epoxy resin). The flexural test results of beams strengthened with FRP/SMA composites showed that the flexural capacity was significantly improved, and the yield and ultimate load significantly increased. At the same time, the service performance was also improved due to the introduction of SMA wire recovery stress. In addition, the introduction of prestress to FRP sheets in the strengthening zone delayed the debonding failure induced by the crack. Lastly, the sectional analysis method was also applied to predict the load-deflection responses of the strengthened beams, which was validated through comparisons with the test results.

Strengthening of RC beams in shear with novel near-surface mounted (NSM) U-shaped fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites

Over the last three decades, various researchers have proven the high efficiency of the near-surface-mounted (NSM) fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) method for strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) beams. The shear strengthening of RC beams by embedding FRP bars or strips onto the side concrete cover is a primary application of NSM FRP investigated in numerous studies. These studies revealed that despite the high bond efficiency between the NSM FRP and concrete, NSM FRP shear-strengthened beams frequently failed in debonding modes, such as FRP–concrete interfacial debonding or side concrete cover separation. Such debonding failures limit the strength utilization and strengthening efficiency of the FRP material. Anchoring measures have been proposed for NSM FRPs to mitigate such debonding failures. However, the manufacturing and installation processes of these anchoring devices are complicated. Moreover, interfacial debonding between the NSM FRPs and anchoring devices can still occur. Therefore, this study proposes a novel NSM U-shaped FRP (NUF) device for the shear strengthening of RC beams. The proposed NUF device was fabricated using a fiber sheet through a wet lay-up process. The device can effectively increase the bond efficiency between the FRP and strengthened beam. The concept, manufacturing, and installation processes of this device are discussed. Subsequently, an experiment was performed on seven full-scale RC beams. The test results showed that the proposed NUF device is able to postpone/prevent the debonding failure between NSM FRP and concrete thus largely increase the strengthening efficiency of NSM FRP method.

Effect of strand debonding on the shear strength of existing pretensioned PC hollow slab

Pretensioned PC (prestressed concrete) beams experience strand debonding failure at the ultimate loading stage, which leads to bond-loss failure of the beams. To study the effect of strand debonding on the shear strength of pretensioned PC hollow slabs, the existing PC hollow slabs of 19 specimens with spans of 10, 13, 16 and 20 m used in Chinese expressway bridges were loaded to bond-loss failure. The strand slip, bond- loss failure mode and shear strength of 19 specimens and 31 shear tests were analyzed. The test results showed that the angles of the failure diagonal cracks were not consistent with the Ross model. Therefore, a refined model to predict the shear strength subjected to pretensioned PC hollow slabs was developed. Other factors were also considered in the refined shear strength model, including the dowel action of longitudinal reinforcements, the prestressed strand development length and the compression zone height. Compared with the shear failure controlled by strand yielding, the shear strength controlled by strand debonding was decreased by approximately 27 %. The test results showed that the debonding induced bond-loss failure could be described as follows: after the formation of the failure diagonal crack, the strand will clearly slip, and concrete parts on both sides of the failure diagonal crack rotate around the crack tip. Due to the debonding induced bond-loss failure of the pretensioned PC hollow slab, the shear strength could not be improved even by increasing the concrete strength of the compression zone. Finally, the validity of the refined model was verified by 23 test specimens.

Improving bonding behavior between basalt fiber-reinforced polymer sheets and concrete using multi-wall carbon nanotubes modified epoxy composites

Premature debonding failure is a critical problem in the reinforcement of concrete structures using fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets with externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) technique. The usual anchoring methods are likely to cause damage to the concrete. The effect of incorporating various amounts of carboxyl (COOH)-functionalized MWCNTs in the epoxy resin on the bonding behavior of the basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP)-concrete joints was detailed studied by single-shear tests and the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. Experimental results indicated that adding the functionalized MWCNTs into the epoxy considerably enhanced the bonding properties. In comparison with the BFRP-concrete joints using neat epoxy, the effective bond length, bond strength, ultimate global slip, interface fracture energy, and BFRP strain of the BFRP-concrete joints using 0.8 wt% MWCNTs modified epoxy increased by 96 %, 55 %, 39 %, 172 %, and 114 %, respectively. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of debonded BFRP surface revealed that the MWCNTs could penetrate into concrete along with epoxy resin, and the MWCNTs pull-out and crack-bridging could indicate a reinforcing effect to prevent premature adhesive failure. This study demonstrated the great promise of the MWCNTs modified epoxy composites toward practical engineering application in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Data availability statementThe raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time as the data also forms part of an ongoing study.

Computational modeling and analysis of the interfacial debonding in copper/copper and copper/polyether-ether-ketone coatings deposited by cold spraying

Cold Spraying (CS) is a promptly developing solid-state additive material deposition technique that is frequently used for high-value metallic component repair. The purpose of this research is to investigate the interfacial adhesion strength of cold-sprayed copper (Cu) coatings deposited on Cu and polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) substrates for repair applications. In light of this, we propose a computational framework that accounts for both of the two main failure mechanisms, i.e., failure at the Cu/Cu interface caused by plasticity and damage initiation and failure at the Cu/PEEK interface due to brittle crack. Towards this end, different damage models are employed to describe the ductile damage of bulk materials, and a large deformation Cohesive Zone Model (CZM) is developed to model Cu/Cu interface debonding, allowing for stable calculations under large interfacial deformation. The Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) is used to simulate brittle debonding failure of the Cu/PEEK coating. The threshold stresses for coating debonding, found experimentally, are successfully compared to the numerical predictions. Such debonding modeling techniques might be useful for predicting coating behavior and bonding strength in cold spraying under various loading situations and material combinations.

Mesoscale modelling of concrete damage in FRP-concrete debonding failure

It is challenging to simulate fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP)-concrete debonding failure in detail because concrete damage usually occurs with a thin layer of mortar debonding attached to the FRP. This study applied a single-lap shear test with a digital image correlation technique to externally bonded FRP–strengthened concrete elements. An improved random walk algorithm method generated a realistic mesostructure of concrete. The two-dimensional mesoscale finite element model for FRP–strengthened concrete was established. The cohesive interface elements were inserted along all mortar–aggregate interfaces. Concrete damaged plasticity and cohesive zone model were applied to simulate the nonlinear properties of mortar and mortar–aggerate interface, respectively. The experimental and numerical load–displacement curves, strain/stress distribution, and local bond–slip curves were obtained and compared. A numerical parametric study investigated the effects of the aggregate, mortar, and adhesive on debonding failure. The main conclusions are: (1) the initiation and propagation of mortar damage and mortar–aggregate interface cracking in the FRP debonding process were directly conducted by the mesoscale model; (2) the numerical curves showed considerable oscillation, possibly due to the stress concentration near the aggregate boundary when the crack transmitted the aggregate, and the stiffness decreased after cracking was initiated at the mortar–aggregate interface; (3) concrete damage may extend to a depth of 25 mm, indicating that the concrete damage is greater than a thin layer of mortar debonding observed in the test; (4) applying polygonal aggregates, increasing aggregate size and surface mortar thickness, and reducing the adhesive layer thickness improves bond performance.

A spike-shaped anchorage for steel reinforced polymer (SRP)-strengthened concrete structures

Steel reinforced polymer (SRP) composite has recently emerged as an effective and economical solution for strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Premature debonding failure of unanchored SRP at low load levels generally governs the performance of RC structures strengthened with externally bonded SRP. Therefore, a novel yet simple spike-shaped anchorage system was proposed in this study to prevent the debonding failure of SRP and to improve the interfacial shear capacity. Experimental investigation through single-lap shear tests of SRP-concrete joints showed that the anchorage system changed the failure mode from composite debonding to fiber rupture. In addition, the anchorage system substantially increased the peak load and reduced the interfacial slippage of the SRP-concrete joint compared to the unanchored condition. A numerical procedure based on the finite difference method was developed to predict the full-range load response, and results matched well with the full-range experimental responses of anchored and unanchored specimens. Parametric study of the test results and numerical simulation based on finite difference method both showed that the fiber rupture failure mode could be achieved for anchors in various positions along the bonded length. The closer the anchor is to the loaded end, the less global slip was obtained when the load reached the peak value.

Comparative Study of Resin and Silane Coupling Agents Coating Treatments on Bonding Strength Improvement of Titanium and Carbon Fiber Composites

In this study, anodizing treatment was utilized to etch titanium (Ti) substrates’ surface to prefabricate nano-cavities. Resin pre-coating (RPC) and three silane coupling agents’ coating (CAC) techniques were further applied to porous Ti substrates surface to compare the reinforcement effect of adhesive bonding strength. SEM images show that nano-cavities have been prepared to create a greater contact area and vertical volume on Ti substrate surface, fully covered by resin coatings via RPC. A higher surface roughness and better surface wetting are also obtained by the testing results of atomic force microscope and contact angles. Single lap shear tests results indicate that specimens with “anodizing + RPC” treatment yield the best average shear strength of 20.73 MPa, increased by 31.7% compared to anodizing base strength and at least 63.0% higher than silane KH-550/560/792-coated specimens. A dominant cohesive failure and fiber-tearing on CFRP’s shallow surface, instead of adhesive debonding failure, are shown in the appearances of damaged specimens, proving that the RPC technique has a more effective bonding strength reinforcement in titanium and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (Ti-CFRP) composites’ toughening. Thus, the simple RPC technique can be regarded as a new-type alternative to adhesive joint toughening to manufacture high-performance composites for aerospace applications.

Experimental Study on Shear-Peeling Debonding Behavior of BFRP Sheet-to-Steel Interfaces.

In order to study the failure mode and debonding behavior of the interface between BFRP (basalt fiber reinforced polymer) sheet and structural steel under mixed-mode loading conditions, eighteen specimens with different initial angles were tested in this study. The specimens were designed with different initial angles to ensure that the interface performed under mixed-mode loading conditions. The relations between the bond strengths, failure modes, and initial angles were investigated. A new evaluation method to predict the interfacial bond strength under shear-peeling loading mode was proposed. The test results show that specimens with a smaller initial angle are more likely to exhibit a shear debonding failure at the interface between the steel plate and adhesive. In contrast, specimens with a larger initial angle are more likely to exhibit peeling of the interface. The ultimate tensile strength of the specimen is higher with a smaller initial angle. The results predicted by the proposed method are in good agreement with the experimental results.

EFEKTIVITAS ANGKUR EPOKSI TERHADAP KEKANGAN EKSTERNAL BALOK BETON BERTULANG DENGAN PERKUATAN CFRP

Externally Bonded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (EB-CFRP) with U-wrap is one of the alternative external strengthening of modern reinforced concrete beams, which has been proven effective in significantly increasing flexural and deformation capacities. Although quite effective in increasing the structural capacity, external reinforcement needs to be studied further about its failure behavior, the avoided failure is called debonding, an interface bond failure between the FRP composite material and the concrete material. Epoxy has a fairly high material resistance, but its use as a reinforcing composite bonding material needs further investigation. Adding epoxy anchors at the ends of CFRP can mobilize the tensile strength in CFRP, eliminating or delaying debonding failure. Epoxy anchors (epoxy-filled grooves) are expected to be effective and flexible for application to various forms of components of reinforced concrete structures that have been reinforced with EB-CFRP. Currently, there are no standards and guidelines for applying FRP anchors. However, research has been conducted on the failure pattern of FRP anchors with U-style wrapping which can avoid debonding so that failure with FRP rupture can be achieved. This study examines the effectiveness of epoxy anchorage in improving the external strengthening of reinforced concrete beams with EB-CFRP reinforcement. The behavior of epoxy anchors in reinforced concrete beams with EB-CFRP will be investigated through experimental tests.

A progressive damage model for ceramic matrix mini-composites with thick interphases

Toughness enhancement in ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) with brittle matrix and fiber phases is often accomplished by introducing a weak finite-thickness interphase between the fiber and matrix. The current work presents a progressive damage model to predict the tensile response of single tow CMCs (mini-composite) representative of a unidirectional composite at the microscale. Implementation of a 3-phase shear-lag model for a geometrically accurate representation of the underlying microstructure in CMCs with finite thickness interphase has been highlighted. A probabilistic progressive modeling approach has been adopted, accounting for multiple matrix cracking, interfacial debonding, and fiber failure in 3-phase mini-composites. The predicted tensile response of CMCs from the progressive damage modeling approach agrees with experimental results obtained for C/BN/SiC mini-composites validating the approach.

Reinforcement study of anodizing treatment with various temperatures on aluminum substrates for stronger adhesive bonding with carbon fiber composites

Aluminum alloy and carbon fiber reinforced plastic (Al-CFRP) composite are usually applied to the lightweight design and manufacture of important field equipment due to the lightweight and high strength. However, the high performance and industrialization of Al-CFRP composites are restricted by degumming issues caused by poor wetting and compatibility, and weak mechanical occlusion of bonding interface between epoxy resin and substrates. In this study, anodizing treatments with three temperatures were employed to etch Al substrate surface for various pore structure, CFRP panels were grinded to create a strong CFRP/epoxy bonding interface to compare the performances changing resulting from treatments on Al substrate surface. Resin pre-coating (RPC) technique was used to eliminate the originally existing defect caused by macromolecular epoxy at the root of porous Al substrate in common adhesive bonding. The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were utilized to improve the bonding interfaces and adhesive layers. The single lap shear results showed the best shear strength of anodized specimen at 30 °C was up to 23.4 MPa improved by 268.9 % than base. Failure modes exhibited the weaker debonding failure at Al/epoxy interface was converted into dominated fiber fracture and delamination failure of CFRP after combined surface treatments. These results indicate associative treatments of anodizing at 30 °C and CNTs-contained RPC are effective and contribute to developing a solution in industrial application of high-performance Al-CFRP composites.

CFRP U-Wraps and Spike Anchors for Enhancing the Flexural Performance of CFRP-Plated RC Beams

Deterioration of infrastructure is a major challenge in the civil engineering industry. One of the methods that has been deemed effective in upgrading reinforced concrete (RC) structures is using externally bonded fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. However, the efficacy of this retrofitting technique is limited by the premature debonding failure of the FRP at the concrete-FRP interface; thus, the full capacity of the FRP is rarely utilized. Anchorage systems were proposed as a feasible solution to suppress or delay debonding failure. This paper presents an experimental investigation on the use of end U-wraps and carbon FRP (CFRP) spike anchors to anchor CFRP plates bonded to flexure-deficient RC beams. The experimental program consisted of seven RC beams with the length of the CFRP plate, type of anchorage, and the number of anchors as experimental variables. Test results indicated a remarkable enhancement in the ultimate load-carrying capacity when longer CFRP plates were used to strengthen the beams. In addition, anchoring the plates enhanced the strength of the CFRP-plated beams by 16-35% compared to the unanchored specimen, depending on the anchorage type and scheme. Finally, fib Bulletin 90 (2019) provisions provided the most accurate predictions of the moment capacity of the strengthened specimens.

Failure mechanisms and acoustic emission pattern recognition of all-CFRP cylindrical honeycomb sandwich shell under three-point bending

The winding-based method is used for fabricating all carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) cylindrical honeycomb sandwich shell. The theoretical model of multi-failure modes of the cylindrical honeycomb sandwich shell is established under three-point bending. The multiple failure mechanisms of the honeycomb sandwich shell under three-point bending are revealed by the established three-dimensional failure mechanism map. The theoretical prediction of multi-failure modes is verified by experiments and finite element method. The acoustic emission (AE) technology is implemented to detect the evolution rule of internal damage of honeycomb sandwich shell. The damage patterns of the acoustic emission signals with different failure modes are identified by the unsupervised k-means clustering algorithm. The meso-damage mechanisms are also disclosed by the digital microscope. It was found that high peak frequency of the AE signals represents the face-core debonding failure. Finally, the optimal geometric design of the honeycomb sandwich shell under the bending load was carried out. The damage characteristics from mesoscale damage to macroscale failure provide a crucial foundation for discriminating multiple damage failure modes of structures.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Behavior of Steel Beams Strengthened by Bolted Hybrid FRP Composites

The strengthening of steel beams using hybrid fiber-reinforced polymers (HFRPs) has gained enormous attention over the last decades. Few researchers have investigated the effectiveness of the fastening techniques without a bonding agent to overcome the undesirable debonding failure of the bonded FRP–steel system. This paper reports the outcomes of experimental and numerical investigations conducted on steel beams strengthened by HFRP using steel bolts. Twenty-two steel beams were tested in four-point loading to investigate the effect of the HFRP length and the bolt arrangement on the flexural behavior of the strengthened systems. The observed failure modes, load-deflection relations, deflection profiles, and strain measurements were also studied. The tested beams showed a ductile behavior, with 15.1 and 22.2% enhancements in the yield and ultimate flexural capacities, respectively. Simplified empirical equations were developed to predict the ultimate load of the bolted HFRP–steel beams. ANSYS software was used to model the beams’ behavior and investigate the effects of the HFRP thickness, bolt spacing, steel grade, loading scheme, and beam length on the effectiveness of the adopted fastening technique. Increasing the HFRP length enhanced the utilization of HFRPs as well as the beam’s ductility, with a reduction of up to 51.2% in the mid-span deflection. Moreover, the strain compatibility of the HFRP–steel beams was improved with an 87.2% reduction in the interfacial slippage. The bolt arrangement showed an insignificant effect on the overall performance of the beams. The numerical results verified the effectiveness of the fastening technique in enhancing the flexural performance of the steel beams, with gains of up to 16.7% and 34.5% in the yield and ultimate load-carrying capacities, respectively.

Flexural Behaviour of Foam Cored Sandwich Structures with Through-Thickness Reinforcements

Composite sandwich structures are well-suited for applications requiring high bending strength, flexural rigidity, crashworthiness, and light weight. However, skin–core debonding and core failure remain a barrier to optimal structural performance when polymeric foams are used as core materials. Suppressing or compartmentalising these failure modes can enhance the structural integrity of sandwich structures. In this paper, the flexural response of a sandwich structure was improved by adding carbon fibre-reinforced plastic in the form of through-thickness ribs during the manufacturing process. The effect of the position of the ribs was investigated using a quasi-static three-point bend test. A camera was used to capture failure events, while the digital image correlation technique provided the full-strain field at different stages of loading. Improved flexural performance was obtained when a reinforcement was placed on either side of the loading roller. With this configuration, skin–core debonding was restricted to a confined portion of the panel, resulting in a more localised and stable fracture process, which involved enhanced foam crushing and hardening. A simple FEA approach has been adopted in this paper and has proven to be an effective approach for capturing the details of the failure process, including the debonding in the composite foam structures, without the need for complex and computationally expensive interface modelling.

Push-out test of hybrid shear connector in steel-precast UHPC composite slab

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the shear behavior of steel and Ultra-high Performance Concrete (UHPC) composite slab connected by different connector types including epoxy resin adhesive, headed stud, and their hybrid. Thirty-two push-out tests were conducted and the failure mode and load-slip cure of specimens were tested. The influences of parameters including the connector type, bonding area, number of headed studs and loading mode on the shear resistance of hybrid connector were explored. The shear transfer mechanism, composite effect and shear resistance of the stud and epoxy resin adhesive for hybrid connector were discussed. The epoxy resin adhesive and headed studs in hybrid connector showed steel interface debonding and stud shrank failures. The ratio of shear resistance for studs to epoxy resin adhesives exerted a great influence on the slip performance and shear resistance of hybrid connector. The composite effect depends on whether the studs bear the load firstly. An equation was proposed by taking factors including the composite effect and loading mode. The predict results showed high correlation with the experimental ones.

Shake-table testing and numerical simulation to select the FRCM retrofit solution for flexure/shear deficient RC frames

This paper presents shake-table and numerical investigations to select a retrofit strategy for reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures using fiber-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composites. Two FRCM alternatives are investigated, namely polyparaphenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO) and carbon FRCM composites, denoted as ‘P-FRCM’ and ‘C-FRCM’, respectively. The study focuses on implementing the selected retrofit material with spike anchorage systems to delay the debonding failure and addresses different failure modes of RC framing systems, including shear or flexure failure. The first phase of this study involves pre shake-table test (STT) simulation to investigate the effectiveness of the selected retrofit technique in delaying local and global damage states and failure modes. STT campaigns are undertaken in the second phase to assess the seismic performance of framing systems retrofitted with different FRCM materials and verify their fiber-based modeling approach. The verified numerical modeling approach of the retrofit techniques is utilized in the third phase to upgrade a benchmark RC moment-resisting frame (MRF) building. A parametric study involving inelastic pushover analyses (IPAs) and multi-record incremental dynamic analyses (IDAs) is finally conducted to assess the vulnerability of the retrofitted building with different FRCM alternatives. It is concluded that the adopted two retrofit techniques significantly reduced the collapse damage state at the design and maximum considered earthquake intensities by up to 59% and 46%, respectively. Although the P-FRCM composite has 38% higher tensile strength and 76% higher ultimate tensile strain than C-FRCM, it slightly improves the overall seismic performance by up to 9% based on the adopted seismic performance index. Owing to the higher cost of P-FRCM compared with its counterpart, a performance-to-cost index confirmed that the C-FRCM composite is the preferred retrofit technique for MRF structures.