Seismic Behaviour of Gravity-Designed RC Frame Retrofitted by FRP

Abstract eng:
Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) is being used widely in repairing and retrofitting structures which suffer from damage or some design deficiencies. For gravity-designed (or generally nonseismically designed) structures, FRP strengthening also appears to be an obvious choice when comes to the need of upgrading for improved seismic resistance. However, typical FRP strengthening is known to be susceptible to debonding and such problem is expected to become more serious under cyclic deformations. This paper investigates the effectiveness of FRP retrofitting for enhancing the seismic performance of RC frames. A half-scale reinforced concrete test frame, originally designed without considering any seismic requirements, is constructed and subsequently subjected to simulated earthquakes until a significant degree of damage is generated. The damaged frame is then repaired using glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) following a typical repairing procedure. The repaired frame is subsequently tested until final failure. The observed responses before and after the repairing are compared. The effectiveness of the retrofitting scheme is discussed in terms of the restoration of the initial stiffness, the evaluation of damage, and the base shear strength and ductility. The development and pattern of debonding during the course of tests are highlighted.

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