Externally bonded FRP U-wraps are a common shear strengthening configuration for RC beams, however premature debonding of the wraps is a major problem, which limits the effectiveness and efficiency of the FRP strengthening. In this investigation a new π-shape carbon anchor was used to fasten the FRP U-wraps to the concrete in an attempt to prevent/delay debonding of the wraps and increase their effectiveness. Fourteen large scale rectangular beams with a 1900 mm span, 400 mm height, and 170 mm width were tested in three-point bending with various configurations of FRP shear strengthening. Shear pre-cracks were introduced in the beams at angles of 30 and 45 degrees in an attempt to control the inclination angle of the shear crack and determine its effect on the FRP shear resistance. The FRP shear strengthening configurations included un-anchored U-wraps, U-wraps with anchors, U-wraps with horizontal strips, and full wraps. The results showed that the use of a variable shear crack inclination angle in the CSA S806-12 (2012) standard led to overestimated shear resistance predictions for beams with a single shear crack, therefore a conservative 45 degree shear crack inclination is recommended for design. The use of the proposed carbon anchors resulted in a 74% increase in shear strength over the un-anchored U-wrapped beams, while only using half the amount of FRP. The use of the anchors also resulted in a 286% increase in the ultimate FRP strain over the un-anchored U-wraps, and allowed the FRP wraps to achieve 58% of their rupture strain. The use of horizontal strips provided similar results to the anchors and may be used as a less labour intensive alternative, but this issue needs further investigation. / Dissertation / Master of Applied Science (MASc) / Damaged or older reinforced concrete structures can be rehabilitated by using externally bonded fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets, which are bonded to the concrete surface using an epoxy adhesive. For the case of shear strengthening of beams, it is common for FRP sheets to be wrapped around the sides and bottom of the beam, resembling a U-shape. The problem with this configuration is that under high levels of load the FRP sheets tend to peel off the concrete surface (debonding). This limits the effectiveness of the rehabilitation and results in the inefficient use of the FRP. A new method for anchoring the FRP sheets to the concrete surface is investigated in this research study. The use of a new in-situ π-shape anchor shows promising results, as it delays debonding and provides a large increase in strength with less FRP needed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/19289 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | D'Souza, Clinton |
| Contributors | Razaqpur, A. Ghani, Civil Engineering |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
Page generated in 0.0021 seconds