ABSTRACT The repair and strengthening of concrete bridge members with CFRP has become increasingly popular over recent years. However, significant research is still needed in order to develop more robust guidelines and specifications. The research project aims to assist with improving design prosedures for damaged concrete members with the use of CFRP. This document summarizes the analysis and testing of full-scale 40’ foot long prestressed concrete (PSC) bridge girders exposed to simulated impact damage and repaired with carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) materials. A total of five AASHTO type II bridge girders fabricated in the 1960’s were taken from an existing bridge, and tested at the Florida Department of Transportation FDOT structures lab in Tallahassee, Florida. The test specimens were tested under static loading to failure under 4-point bending. Different CFRP configurations were applied to each of the girders. Each of the test girders performed very well as each of them held a higher capacity than the control girder. The repaired girders 5, 6 and 7 surpassed the control girder’s capacity by 10.88%, 15.9% and 11.39%. These results indicate that repairing laterally damaged prestressed concrete bridge girders with CFRP is an effective way to restore the girders flexural capacity.

The content of the diploma thesis is evaluation of the usability of carbon composites in the space industry. The aim of this work is to assess whether carbon composites can find application in mechanical systems of passive thermal protection of artificial objects. Model examples demonstrate the principle of operation of selected passive thermal protection. The evaluation is realized based on the results of thermal analysis. Analytical formulas from field theory of heat transfer are used as a calculation method. The diploma thesis consists from two parts. The theoretical part briefly describes the mechanisms of heat transfer, selected types of passive thermal protection and properties and applications of carbon composites. The practical part consists of the assignment, calculation and evaluation of three examples. The results show that carbon composites can compete with commonly used materials for specific requirements.

This thesis deals with the assessment of reinforced concrete elements using a fully probabilistic approach and its comparison with the method of partial reliability factors. This method of ultimate limit state design will be applied to determine the ultimate limit state of reinforced concrete column loaded by a combination of "N + M", the normal force and bending moment. Specifically, I will solve a circular reinforced concrete column with and without the effect of wrapping unidirectional carbon fiber fabrics and comparing the theoretically determined values with the values determined by experiment, which is carried out at the Institute of Concrete and Masonry Structures Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Technical University in Brno.

Cílem této diplomové práce je lépe porozumět konceptu únavového poškození damage tolerance zmapováním všech možných vlivů na lomovou houževnatost vláknového kompozitu s polymerní matricí. Toho je dosaženo provedením zkoušek za různých podmínek (např. změna parametrů měření, mód zatížení, pořadí vrstev a materiál) a monitorováním odlišností v šíření trhliny. Na základě dat získaných během těchto testů je určena lomová houževnatost. Potenciální rozdíly jsou zkonzultovány a porovnány s ostatními vzorky.

This thesis deals with common problem health protection at work. Namely hand protection during the work in very cold environment. It’s an analysis of materials suitable for apparatus used for measuring the thermal resistance of the gloves. There was analysed a range of materials. Every single sample was tested for heat conductivity and afterwards was assessed the suitability of materials. Heat was generated by electricity. Ocured heat fields was assessed with thermocamera. After performed experiments of carbon fiber we haven’t reached any satisfying results which we could use for manufacturing of this device. On the other hand kapton film has given very interesting results which we would recommend eventually. Kapton film needs to be modify according to the method listed in the conlusion. This thesis gives us a clear overview and inspiration for additional research of this device. It finds it’s place in research facilities and companies manufacturing protective clothing.

Ce travail a consisté à optimiser la synthèse de phosphates de calcium (CaP) déposés sur tissus de fibres de carbone (TFC) par procédé de sono-électrodéposition afin d’obtenir des revêtements uniformes. Les paramètres électrochimiques clés optimisés sont le type et la durée de polarisation cathodique ainsi que la température de l’électrolyte. Pour un potentiel constant de -1 V à 70 °C, un régime d’électrolyse contrôlé de l’eau conduit à la formation d’un revêtement plaquettaire d’hydroxyapatite déficitaire en calcium (CDA) carbonatée. Les plaquettes sont composées de particules lamellaires (de quelques dizaines à centaines de nm) constituées de CDA carbonatée de structure ordonnée au coeur et de structure désordonnée car hydratée en surface des particules, organisation typique des apatites biomimétiques. Le matériau hybride a été dopé en strontium, engendrant la formation de revêtements où les ions Ca²+ sont substitués par des ions Sr²+ de manière contrôlée, conférant au biomatériau de nouvelles propriétés en vue d’une application en régénération osseuse. Ce travail a aussi démontré la possibilité d’adsorber de façon sélective des principes actifs ciblés (tétracycline, naproxène, aspirine) dans chaque constituant du matériau hybride. Les courbes de désorption ont mis en évidence deux modes de libération selon le principe actif.Une évaluation biologique des différentes matériaux hybrides a été réalisée. L’étude in vitro a porté sur la viabilité et la prolifération d’ostéoblastes humains en surface des biomatériaux hybrides, démontrant leur biocompatibilité. L’intérêt d’un dopage (Sr²+, aspirine et naproxène) sur l’activité des ostéoblastes a été démontré. Une expérience pilote in vivo a été menée, consistant à créer un défaut osseux dans des fémurs de rats et à étudier l’influence du type de biomatériaux TFC/CaP sur les évolutions quantitative et qualitative de la régénération osseuse. / Optimization of the synthesis of calcium phosphates (CaP) on carbon fiber cloths (TFC) was performed in using sono-electrodeposition process in order to obtain uniform coatings. The electrochemical potential applied and the electrolyte temperature during the synthesis were determined as being key parameters. For a constant potential of -1 V at 70 ° C, a controlled water electrolysis regime results in the deposit of plate-like calcium-deficient apatite (CDA). This plate-like particles (from a few tens to hundreds of nm in length) consist in an ordered structure of carbonated CDA in their core and in a disordered structure in the hydrated surface, a typical organization of biomimetic apatites. The hybrid material was doped with strontium, resulting in a carbonated CDA coating where the Ca²+ ions are controllably substituted by Sr²+ ions, leading to new properties for a bone regeneration application. This work has also shown the possibility of selectively adsorb targeted active molecules (tetracycline, naproxen, aspirin) in each component of the hybrid material. The desorption curves revealed two modes of release depending on the active molecule.A biological evaluation of the different hybrid materials was carried out. The in vitro study investigated the viability and proliferation of human osteoblasts at the surface of hybrid materials, demonstrating their biocompatibility. The interest of a doping (Sr²+, aspirin and naproxen) on osteoblast activity was demonstrated. An in vivo pilot experiment was conducted, through the creation of a bone defect in rat thighbones to study the influence of TFC/CaP biomaterials on the quantitative and qualitative evolutions of bone regeneration.

Carbon fiber (CF) must be protected from thermal oxidation for high temperature application because of its low thermo-oxidative stability above 450°C in air. CF is now increasingly being used as a reinforcing material in the construction industry. A thermal and oxidation resistant coating is necessary for CF-reinforced concrete (CFRC) composites in order to satisfy a high level of safety standard in the case of fire. New types of pre-ceramic coatings, such as Tyranno® polymer (Si–Ti based pre-ceramic) and SiO₂ sol–gel, have been deposited on CF filament yarn by means of a wet chemical continuous dip coating method. The results of surface analyses, e.g. scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy, showed the changes in topographical properties of CF caused by the coatings. Thermogravimetric analysis proved that the high temperature (up to 800°C) oxidation stability of CF was considerably improved due to the coatings. Tensile test results indicated that the strength of CF yarn at 20°C was increased by up to 80% with the coatings. Thermo-mechanical properties were also enhanced up to 600°C. CF yarn retains its original strength and elasticity modulus, i.e. the stiffness at 700°C, with a Tyranno® polymer coating.

This contribution will introduce carbon-reinforced concrete components (so-called carbon concrete composites, or C³) with sensor functionalities for innovative building envelopes. For a continuous in situ structural monitoring, these textile-reinforced concrete components are equipped with textile sensor networks consisting of resistive carbon fiber sensors (CFSs), which are integrated into the carbon fiber non-crimp fabrics of the concrete reinforcement by multiaxial warp-knitting. The in situ CFSs, consisting of 1 k or 50 k carbon fiber roving with added staple fiber/multifilament dielectric cladding, are later integral to the load-distributing elements of the concrete component, and elongations within these are easy to record with good correlation to ohmic resistance changes. Gage factors of k = 0.52–1.23 at linearity deviations of ALin=4.0–8.7% are feasible. This allows a monitoring of C³ building envelopes for structural mechanical changes caused by physical changes within the component through mechanical or thermal loads or deformation and cracks.

Fiber-reinforced plastics for industrial applications face constantly increasing demands regarding efficiency, reliability, and economy. Furthermore, it was shown that fiber-reinforced plastics with tailored reinforcements are superior to metallic or monolithic materials. However, a trustworthy description of the load-specific failure behavior and damage evolution of composite structures can hardly be given, because these processes are very complex and are still not entirely understood. Among other things, several research groups have shown that material damages like fiber fracture, delamination, matrix cracking, or flaws can be discovered by analyzing the electrical properties of conductive composites, for example, carbon fiber–reinforced plastics. Furthermore, it was shown that this method could be used for structural health monitoring or nondestructive evaluation. Within this study, magnetic induction tomography, which is a new imaging approach, is introduced in the topic of nondestructive evaluation of carbon fiber–reinforced plastics. This non-contacting imaging method gains the inner spatial distribution of conductivity of a specimen and depicts material inhomogeneity, like damages, not only in two-dimensional images but also in three-dimensional images. Numerical and experimental investigations are presented, which give a first impression of the performance of this technique. It is demonstrated that magnetic induction tomography is a promising approach for nondestructive evaluation. Potentially, it can be used for fabrication quality control of conductive fiber–reinforced plastics and as a structural health monitoring system using an integrated or superficially applied magnetic induction tomography setup.

Une interphase fibre de carbone/matrice époxy thermiquement auto-réparable a été construite sur la base de liaisons covalentes Diels-Alder (D-A) thermiquement réversibles. L’interphase modifiée par D-A a été formée en greffant des groupes maléimide sur la surface de la fibre de carbone et en introduisant des groupes furane dans le réseau polyépoxy. La capacité d’auto-réparation interfaciale a été caractérisée par le test de déchaussement de la micro-goutte. La surface de la fibre de carbone a subi un traitement en trois étapes : (i) oxydation par l’acide nitrique, (ii) amination par la tétraéthylènepentamine (TEPA) et (iii) greffage de bismaléimide (BMI). Après chaque étape de traitement, les modifications physico-chimiques de surfaces de la fibre ont été caractérisées par microscopies (MEB et AFM) et par spectroscopies (XPS, et ATR-FTIR). La modification de la matrice a été effectuée en copolymérisant le furfuryl glycidyl éther (FGE) au réseau époxy/amine et les propriétés de la matrice ont été évaluées par TGA, DSC, ATR-FTIR, et traction uniaxiale. Le caractère réversible des liaisons Diels-Alder a été également vérifié par DSC, TGA et RMN. Pour caractériser les capacités d'auto-réparation de l’interphase modifiée par D-A, les propriétés mécaniques et les capacités d'auto-réparation de l'interphase construite en combinant la matrice DGEBA-FGE/amine avec une série de fibres de carbone greffés par BMI ont été mesurées en fonction du temps d’oxydation préalable au greffage (gouvernant la réactivité de la fibre de carbone). Enfin, car le FGE joue un double rôle dans le système interfacial modifié par D-A, à la fois dans l’architecture en intervenant comme allongeur de chaîne entre nœuds de réticulation du réseau époxyde et au niveau de l’interphase en contribuant dans la formation des liaisons réversibles, l'influence de la concentration de FGE dans la matrice a été étudiée sur les propriétés mécaniques de l'interphase et également sur les propriétés mécaniques de la matrice. Par conséquent, ce travail a permis d’aboutir à la procédure optimale pour construire une interphase fibre de carbone/époxy thermiquement auto-réparable basée sur des liaisons covalentes Diels-Alder (thermo réversibles). L'interphase ainsi formée possède non seulement des capacités d’auto-réparations multiples, mais également des propriétés mécaniques compatibles avec une approche ‘matériau composite’. En effet, les propriétés mécaniques globales des matériaux composites, comme attendu, sont dépendantes des caractéristiques de cette interphase mais ne seront pas réduites par la présence de celle-ci notamment pour assurer la durabilité du matériau composite. / A thermally self-healable carbon/epoxy interphase was designed based on Diels-Alder (D-A) thermally reversible covalent bonds. The D-A modified interphase was formed between maleimide groups grafted on carbon fiber surface and furan groups introduced into epoxy network. The self-healing ability was characterized by a micromechanical approach using the micro-droplet debonding test. In this work, carbon fiber surface underwent a three-step treatment to graft maleimide groups, including HNO3 oxidization, tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) amination, and bismaleimide (BMI) grafting. The fiber surface physico-chemical modifications after each treatment step were characterized by microscopies (SEM, and AFM) and spectroscopies (XPS, and ATR-FTIR). The matrix modification was carried on mixing furfuryl glycidyl ether (FGE) into epoxy/amine network and the properties of modified matrix were studied by TGA, DSC, ATR-FTIR, and tensile tests. The reversible character of Diels-Alder bond was also followed by DSC, TGA, and NMR. The interfacial mechanical properties and the self-healing abilities of the D-A modified interphases, built by combining DGEBA-FGE/amine matrix with a serial of BMI-grafted carbon fibers tuned as a function of the oxidization time were investigated. At last, since FGE plays a double-role in D-A modified interfacial system, i.e. chain extender in epoxy network and self-healing agent in the interphase, the influences of FGE content in matrix on the mechanical properties of interphase and also on the mechanical properties of cured matrix were evaluated. As a consequence, this study allowed to achieve the best process to build a thermally self-healable carbon/epoxy interphase based on thermally reversible Diels-Alder covalent bonds. The formed interphase has not only the successive self-healable abilities but also the required mechanical properties. Additionally, the overall mechanical properties of the composite material based on this interphase will not be weakened significantly after the interfacial modifications.