Effectiveness of repairing damaged RC beam-column connections with FRP strips

Abstract

Reinforced concrete (RC) beam-column connections, designed prior to earthquake standards, may be vulnerable to shear failure under seismic attack. An effective means to increase the shear resistance of such connections is by bonding fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The majority of research to date has focused on the strengthening of RC connections with FRP; that is, the strengthening of virgin connections. This paper reports the results of tests on RC connections which different degrees of damage which have been repaired with either column oriented or beam oriented FRP strips. The results are also compared with previously reported tests on FRP-strengthened connections by the authors. All test connections are designed to ensure shear failure in the joint region, even for the FRP repaired and strengthened connections in order to accurately observe and monitor the behaviour of the FRP. The detailed results given may be used to calibrate analytical and numerical models. © 2008 Taylor & Francis Group, London.