Concrete beam flexural strengthening with anchored pre-saturated CFRP laminates

摘要

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) external strengthening of concrete members is gaining increasing popularity due to time and labor savings, strength and confinement gain, and long-term durability. Various FRP anchoring systems have been proposed to reduce premature CFRP debonding. The anchoring effect on the newly developed epoxy pre-saturated CFRP (PS-CFRP) laminates is also unknown. This study evaluated small concrete beams strengthened with this new and anchored laminate. The beams were tested under three-point loading until failure. The laminate application was fast with some workability issues in the limited usage timeframe. PS-CFRP without any anchors was more effective than regular FRP in increasing the beam flexural capacity. Theoretical predictions under-estimated the CFRP flexural contribution by 39-46%. Mechanical anchors slightly increased the PS-CFRP effectiveness and was ineffective for regular FRP application. Fan anchors were ineffective for both CFRP laminate types. The location and relative length of the CFRP rupture length influenced the anchor contribution.