APPLICATION OF FRP FOR STRENGTHENING AND

RETROFITTING OF CIVIL ENGINEERING STRUCTURES

ABSTRACT

Civil engineering structures could be damaged by several causes such as earthquakes,

cyclones, blast and so on. These kinds of loading either collapse the structure prematurely
or cause extensive damages to it. When the damage occurs to a limited extent, it is possible
to retrofit the structure. Among them, efficient and effective method of repairing damaged
structures is the application of Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP). In the past, several
structures have been rehabilitated using the FRP techniques. This report presents a critical
review of the repairing of RCC structures using the FRP techniques and appropriate
concluding remarks.

INTRODUCTION
Generally structures are subjected to geophysical and man-made loads
during their service life. When the magnitude of these loads exceed the
capacity or strength of the structures, they are likely to be damaged.
Sometimes the strength of a structure is reduced because of the use of
substandard materials in its construction or due to the application of
additional load because of change in functioning or due to seismic forces
for which the structure had not been designed originally. These situations
warrant strengthening or up-gradation of the structure to carry the
enhanced loading. Considering the economy of putting up another new
structure in place of the damaged structures with the associated loss of

revenue due to interruption in the functioning of the structure as well as

economic and environmental factors, a decision to repair the structure
becomes essential.
A variety of structural up-gradation and retrofitting techniques has been
evolved over the years for different structures and also has been used.
Some methods of seismic upgrading such as addition of new structural
frames or shear walls have been proven to be impractical because they
have been either too costly or restricted in use to certain types of
structures. Other strengthening methods such as grout injection,
insertion of reinforcing steel, pre-stressing, jacketing, and different
surface treatments methods involves the use of skilled labour and
disrupts normal functions of the building. These well-known techniques
may sometimes be inadequate for applications that should preserve
architectural heritage with historical value.
FRP composites are now increasingly used in the construction industry
and offer considerable potential for greater use in buildings, including
large primary structures. In recent years more complex applications have
been developed to satisfy the desire for more dramatic features in
building design.FRP composites have numerous potential advantages in
building construction including the following: offsite fabrication, modular
construction, reduced mass, superior durability, ability to mould complex
forms, special surface finishes and effects, and improved thermal
insulation. As a repair material also confinement with polymeric matrix
or

Fiber

Reinforced

Plastic

(FRP)

composites

presents

significant

advantages over a traditional confinement techniques: the cross

sectional dimensions of the column do not increase, which permits

compliance with architectural restraints; the mass of the column does

not increase; which means that the seismic behaviour of the building
remains unchanged the low weight of FRP materials implies that the
installation procedure is faster, easier and less dangerous for the
operator than implementation of traditional confining techniques,
Modern techniques of confinement consist of wrapping with FRP sheets
or laminates. They were introduced in engineering practice as an
innovative confinement technique during the last decade as an
alternative to wood or steel ties adopted in the past. Therefore the use of
FRP laminates for retrofitting and strengthening is a valid alternative
because of their small thickness, high strength-to- weight ratio and ease
of applications.

Material properties
Carbon fibers are very fine fibers with a diameter of 7m and have
excellent properties for structural members, for example, high strength,
high elastic modulus, light weight, and high durability. However, carbon
fibers are very brittle and very expensive, compared with steel. Thus,
some consideration is needed to overcome these weak points. A carbon
fiber strand that consists of 12000 filaments of carbon fiber, or a carbon
fiber sheet that consists of carbon fiber strands arranged in a same
direction is a practical unit for actual applications. The carbon fiber
filaments are loaded independently, which causes stress concentration
to a filaments. Since carbon fibers are brittle, the filaments with the
concentrated stress easily fracture before the stress begin to be shared

with any other filaments. Therefore, impregnation of epoxy resin to

carbon fibers is usually carried out to produce CFRP.
The impregnated resin integrates the carbon fiber filaments in CFRP and
reduces the stress concentration. On the other hand, the resin causes
loss of durability and fire proof capacity. However, since buildings usually
need finishings on the retrofitted members from architectural reasons,
these problems are solved. The finishings cut ultra- violet rays that
reduce durability of epoxy resin. The finishings that have the function of
protecting covers can be heat insulation during a fire. CFRP is strong but
brittle, just like as a carbon fiber itself. Therefore, CFRP cannot be
employed for a energy absorbing material that is very important in the
current earthquake resistant design of buildings. For reinforced concrete
structures, CFRP cannot be used for longitudinal bars at plastic hinge
regions where the longitudinal bars play a role of energy absorbing
devices. However, CFRP can be employed for transverse reinforcement
to which plastic deformation is not required, and for the longitudinal
reinforcement in the region where large plastic deformation is not
expected . The last large problem with use of carbon fibers is the high
price of carbon fibers. In case of newly construction, carbon fibers is
inferior to concrete and steel because in that case, the material cost
occupies some percentage which is cannot be ignored. However, in the
retrofit works, carbon fibers is not inferior because the material cost has
a low percentage and the labor costs occupies a high percentage. If
carbon fibers save the labor cost due to its light weight and flexibility,
then carbon fibers may be widely spread.

Fibre reinforced composites

FRCs have two components matrix and fibre,. In the present context, thermosetting resins
like epoxy or polyethylene are used as matrix, while aramid, carbon and glass fibres reinforce
the matrix and lend strength to the composite. The resin coheres and gives shape to the
object, while fibres reinforce it. The result of such combination is a light, flexible and strong
composite material.
Unlike conventional materials, composites are not homogeneous. Their properties are
dependent on position and angle under consideration. Generally, composites are elastic up
to failure and exhibit no yield point or region of plasticity. The properties are dependent on
fibre and matrix, their relative quantity and orientation of fibre. If all the fibres are aligned in
one direction then the composite becomes very stiff and strong in that direction but it will
have low strength and low modulus in the transverse direction.

FRPC Advantages

1.
2.

FRPCs are non-metallic. Therefore, they are resistant to corrosion.

They have high strength to weight ratio. Therefore, for the same strength FRPC is
considerably lighter. This eliminates requirements of heavy construction equipment
and supporting structures.

3.

FRPCs are available in rolls of very long length. Therefore, they need very few joints
avoiding laps and splices, its transportation is also very easy.

4.

They have a short curing time therefore the application takes a shorter time. This
reduces the project duration and down time of the structure to a great extent.

5.

Application of FRPC does not require bulky and dusty materials in a large quantity
therefore, the site remains tidier.

6.

FRPCs have high ultimate strain therefore they offer ductility to the structure, and they
are suitable for earthquake resistant applications.

7.

They have high fatigue resistance so they do not degrade which easily alleviates the
requirement of frequent maintenance. They have low thermal conductivity. They
are bad conductors of electricity and are nonmagnetic.

8.

Due to their lightweight prefabricated components they can be easily transported.

They encourage prefabricated construction; reduce site erection, labour cost and
capital investment requirement.

Structural damages due to earthquake . An earthquake generates ground motion both in

the horizontal and vertical direction. Due to the inertia of the structure the ground motion
generates shear forces and bending moments in the structural framework. In earthquake
resistant design it is important ensure ductility in the structure, that is, the structure
should be able to deform without causing failure. The bending moments and shear forces
are maximum at the joints. Therefore, the joints need to be ductile to efficiently dissipate
the earthquake forces. Most failures in earthquake-affected structures are observed at the
joints. Moreover, due to the existing construction practice, a construction joint is placed in
the column very close to the beam-column joint.This leads to shear or bending failure at
or very close to the joint. The onset of high bending moments may cause yielding or
buckling of the steel reinforcements. The high compressive stress in concrete may also
cause crushing of concrete. If the concrete lacks confinement the joint may disintegrate
and the concrete may spall, All these create a hinge at the joint and if the number of
hinges is more than the maximum allowed to maintain the stability of the structure the
entire structure may collapse. If the shear reinforcement in the beam is insufficient there
may be diagonal cracks near the joints, Fig 4(d). This may also lead to failure. Bond failure
is also observed in case lap splices are too close to the joints.

Procedure of Fibre Wrap

Before application of wrap the substrate has to be prepared. In case of damaged
members the first step is to rebuild the damaged member. The steps in rebuilding are
consist of:
removing all loose materials and exposing the concrete surface
treating all internal cracks and voids with suitable grouts
replacing the spalled concrete with epoxy mortar or epoxy concrete
preparing a smooth concrete surface that needs wrapping.

One must remember that the FRPC layer is very thin. Therefore, it is extremely important
to prepare a smooth concave surface of concrete before the wrapping is begun. The FRPC
becomes ineffective if it leaves the surface of concrete. Care must be taken to avoid
wrinkles, voids and sheet deformation. Moreover, sharp edges and corners are potential
zones of fibre breakage due to stress concentration. Therefore, all projections are
removed and all corners are rounded off. A corner radius of 25 mm is found sufficient to
avoid stress concentration.
Fibre sheet wrapping
After preparation of the surface a low viscosity primer is applied on the concrete surface
to improve bond between the fibre sheet and concrete.Fibre sheets are cut to required
sizes. An allowance for the length of lap joint must be given while cutting the sheets. The
lap length is decided on test results in laboratory and precision that can be maintained in
construction. The cut fibre sheets are rolled on a circular spindle to make them easy for
wrapping. It is very important to choose the right epoxy resin for wrapping applications.
The resin must be viscous enough to hold the fibres in place. On the other hand, the resin
must wet the fibre thoroughly and there should not be any dry pockets. The viscosity of
the resin, therefore, is a trade off between these two contradicting requirements. The
resin is usually a two-part one. The mixing of the parts must be thorough. The resin
should not entrap air during mixing. Therefore, the speed of the stirrer and the duration
stirring are extremely important parameters. The mixed epoxy resin is applied on to the
concrete surface that is to be wrapped. There are two methods of laying dry lay up and
wet lay up. In the dry lay up the dry fibre sheet is applied on the concrete surface freshly
coated with epoxy resin. In the wet lay up the fibre sheet is wetted with epoxy resin
before wrapping. lap area is a good idea. The wrapping must be completed within the pot
life period of the resin that is usually 20 to 30 minutes. Therefore, it is advisable to mix
small quantities of resin at a time. A thin coat of resin is applied after the wrapping is
over. After the resin is completely cured (usually 24 hours) the wrap is inspected to rule
out any defect. A micaceous polyoxide topcoat is applied on the wrapped surface to
protect the resin from deterioration from exposure to ultraviolet rays.

Strengthening of beams Due to the forces of earthquake the beams may weaken in
shear, bending or they may have crushing in concrete due to lack of confinement. Beams
require separate treatments for strengthening the above aspects. While the treatment
required to improve confinement is largely the same, as that in columns the flexural and
shear strengthening require separate discussion.

Flexural strengthening Flexural strengthening of beams and slabs is necessary when

the tension steel has yielded or it has deteriorated due to corrosion. Flexural members
that are found to have inadequate reinforcement can also be strengthened by this
method. In order to improve the flexural capacity of beams and slabs continuous fibre
sheets or plates are bonded to its tension and compression faces, Fig 9(a). This is the
simplest method of improving flexural capacity of a structural member. However, the
stiffness of the FRPC is of great importance in this case. The allowable transverse
deflection of the flexural members is very small. As a result, we need a stiff FRPC layer for

effective improvement of the flexural capacity. The bond between concrete and FRPC is
also of immense importance here. Therefore, the adhesive must be chosen with great
care. The method of application of the FRPC in flexural strengthening, however, is the
same as that in case of wrapping. The only difficulty one faces in flexural strengthening is
that often the application is overhead. To retain the displacement of FRPC due to
gravitational forces a thixotropic adhesive is often used. However, in case of Gujarat the
same glue that is used in wrapping has been used in flexural strengthening. The
application of FRPC also impedes moisture ingress and further corrosion of steel.

Shear strengthening In earthquake-affected structures shear cracks are often observed

at the ends of beams and sometimes, at several places through out the span of beam.
The shear capacities of the beams can be improved by placing FRPC on the webs of the
beams. The wrapping techniques same as that given for columns is employed to
strengthen the beam. Wherever possible the beam is wrapped on all four sides. Along
with improving the shear capacity it improves the confinement of concrete. That, in turn,
delays the failure of concrete. For Tbeams where full wrap is not possible due to
obstruction from slab, U-wraps are provided, Fig 9(b). The method of application of shear
wraps is identical to that as column wraps.
Strengthening of beam-column joints In earthquake-affected structures most of the
failures are found at the beam-column junctions that are combinations of the three
primary types of failures discussed earlier. Therefore, a combination of all the above
strengthening methods is to be used. Using FRPC sheets a simple and fast method is
developed and employed to strengthened beamcolumn connections