RC structural wall with unbonded tendons strengthened with high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete

摘要

A new technique based on the use of high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete (HPFRC) in seismic structural walls with unbonded tendons is investigated herein. The aim of using this kind of structural wall, which develops a rocking behaviour under horizontal loading, is to limit or avoid damage during seismic events. The technique consists of strengthening the base of reinforced concrete (RC) walls provided with unbonded tendons by replacing the regular concrete at the wall toes with HPFRC, which can enhance the wall properties and be used to strengthen or repair existing RC walls. A full-scale test was performed on a rocking wall, before and after strengthening at the wall toes. Local deformations at the toes were measured in detail to quantify the extent of concrete damage in relation to wall drift and to assist future theoretical modelling. The results show that the strengthening technique can considerably limit damage at the ultimate state.