7/29/2017 STRUCTURE magazine | Strengthening of Concrete Structures Using FRP Composites

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Strengthening of Concrete Structures Using FRP Composites

Jun, 2015 By Tarek Alkhrdaji, Ph.D., P.E. In Articles, Building Blocks Comments 28

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have been used for structural strengthening in the United States for almost 25 years. During this period, acceptance of FRP
composites as a mainstream construction material has grown, and so has the number of completed FRP strengthening projects. As a result, the use of FRP for strengthening
and retro t is gaining more popularity among design professionals over conventional strengthening techniques, such as installation of supplemental structural steel frames
and elements.

FRP strengthening of existing structures can involve complex evaluation, design, and detailing processes, requiring a good understanding of the existing structural conditions
along with the materials used to repair the structure prior to FRP installation. The suitability of FRP for a strengthening project can be determined by understanding what FRP
is and the advantages it offers, but more importantly, its limitations.

FRP fabric is easily tailored to t any geometry,

including U wrapping around beams.

What is FRP Reinforcement?

FRP composite materials are comprised of high strength continuous bers, such as glass, carbon, or steel wires, embedded in a polymer matrix. The bers provide the main
reinforcing elements while the polymer matrix (epoxy resins) acts as a binder, protects the bers, and transfers loads to and between the bers.

FRP composites can be manufactured on site using the wet lay-up process in which a dry fabric, made of carbon or glass, is impregnated with epoxy and bonded to prepared
concrete substrate. Once cured, the FRP becomes an integral part of the structural element, acting as an externally bonded reinforcing system. FRP composites can also be
prefabricated in a manufacturing facility in which the material is pultruded to create different shapes that can be used for strengthening applications, such as rods, bars and
plates.

Wrapping FRP fabrics around columns increases the

shear and axial strength to improve ductility and
energy dissipation behavior.

The most common FRP systems for concrete strengthening applications are carbon ber based (CFRP). Carbon has superior mechanical properties and higher tensile strength,
stiffness, and durability compared with glass ber based systems. The use of prefabricated CFRP bars and plates is typically limited to straight or slightly curved surfaces; for
example, the top side or underside of slabs and beams. Prefabricated FRP elements are typically stiff and cannot be bent on site to wrap around columns or beams.

FRP fabric, on the other hand, is available in continuous unidirectional sheets supplied on rolls that can be easily tailored to t any geometry and can be wrapped around
almost any pro le. FRP fabrics may be adhered to the tension side of structural members (e.g. slabs or beams) to provide additional tension reinforcement to increase exural
strength, wrapped around the webs of joists and beams to increase their shear strength, and wrapped around columns to increase their shear and axial strength and improve
ductility and energy dissipation behavior.

The adhesive systems used to bond FRP to the concrete substrate may include a primer that is used penetrate the concrete substrate and improve bond of the system; epoxy
putty to ll small surface voids in the substrate and provide a smooth surface to which the FRP system is bonded; saturating resin used to impregnate the fabric and bond it to
the prepared substrate; and protective coating to safeguard the bonded FRP system from potentially damaging environmental and mechanical effects. Most epoxies for FRP
strengthening systems are adversely affected by exposure to ultraviolet light, but can be protected using acrylic coatings, cementitious coatings, and other types of coatings.

The resins and ber for a FRP system are usually developed as one system, based on materials and structural testing. Mixing or replacing a component of one FRP system with
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The resins and ber for a FRP system are usually developed as one system, based on materials and structural testing. Mixing or replacing a component of one FRP system with
a component from another system is not acceptable and can adversely affect the properties of the cured system.

The bond between FRP system and the existing concrete is critical, and surface preparation is essential to most applications. Any existing deterioration or corrosion of internal
reinforcement must be resolved prior to installation of the FRP system. Failure to do so can result in damage to the FRP system due to delamination of the concrete substrate.

Additional tension reinforcement increases the

exural strength of slabs when FRP is adhered to
the tension side.

Di erences between FRP and Steel

FRP composites are different from steel in that they possess properties that can vary in different directions (anisotropic), whereas steel has similar properties in all directions
(isotropic). The most common type of ber sheets for concrete strengthening application are constructed with continuous unidirectional carbon or glass ber that runs the
length of the fabric. When loaded in direct tension, unidirectional FRP materials exhibit a linear-elastic stress-strain relationship until failure, with no yielding or plastic
behavior. Due to the linear-elastic characteristics of FRP and the fact they are applied externally to structural elements, the standard methods used to design or determine the
amount of steel reinforcement do not apply to FRP. Relatively more complex procedures are used to design FRP, which can involve iterative design methodology.

Because the ber in an FRP material is the main load-carrying component, the type of ber, orientation of ber, and thickness of the fabric (quantity of bers) dictate the
tensile strength and stiffness.

FRP composites vary in strength depending on the type of ber used. While glass provides a tensile strength nearly equal to mild steel yield strength, carbon composites
provide a tensile strength that vary from twice to ve times the yield strength of mild steel. While both FRP composites have tensile stiffness lower than that of steel, carbon
composite stiffness is twice to ve times the stiffness of glass composites. FRP composites have approximately one fth the weight of steel.

The tensile properties of FRP strengthening systems can be obtained from the FRP system manufacturer. The tensile properties can also be determined using the test method
described in ASTM D7565.

To account for material durability, most available design guides identify environmental reduction factors for the tensile strength of the FRP that can be used in design. These
factors depend on the type of FRP and the exposure conditions for the element to be strengthened. For CFRP, the typical environmental reduction factor for interior exposure
conditions is 0.95 while the reduction factor for exterior and aggressive exposure conditions is typically 0.85.

Installation of CFRP on an industrial silo.

FRP Application
FRP systems provide a very practical tool for strengthening and retro t of concrete structures, and are appropriate for:

Flexural strengthening,
Shear strengthening, and
Column con nement and ductility improvement.

FRP systems have also been successfully used for seismic upgrading of concrete structures. These applications include mitigating brittle failure mechanisms such as shear
failure of uncon ned beam-column joints, shear failure of beams and/or columns, and lap splice failure. FRP systems have also been to con ne columns to resist buckling of
longitudinal steel bars. These FRP schemes increase the global displacement and energy dissipation capacities of the concrete structure, and improve its overall behavior.

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Because of the resistance to corrosion, FRP composites can be utilized on interior and exterior structural members in all almost all types of environments.

CFRP reinforcement on parking garage beams.

Codes and Standards

There are several guides and codes published worldwide that address the design of externally bonded FRP reinforcement systems for concrete structures. In the United States,
ACI Committee 440 has published ACI 440.2R, Guide for the Design and Construction of Externally Bonded FRP Systems for Strengthening Concrete Structures. However, this
document is not considered a code and is not referenced in any code documents, including the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Existing Building Code
(IEBC).

Understanding the need for a repair code, the American Concrete Institute (ACI) published, in 2013, Code Requirements for Evaluation, Repair and Rehabilitation of Concrete
Buildings (ACI 562), which is the rst performance-based standard developed for the repair of existing concrete buildings. This standard works with the IEBC where adopted, or
as a stand-alone document for jurisdictions that have not adopted an existing building code.

The provisions in ACI 562 are not new to design professionals and include many of the same requirements as for the traditional design of concrete structures. ACI 562 directs
design professionals to consider the behavior of the structure at all times during the repair process and after the repair is completed. ACI 562 permits the use of FRP materials
for concrete repair and strengthening, and refers to ACI 440 standards for design and detailing requirements.

FRP Strengthening Limits

Minimum Existing Strength Limit
Per ACI 440.2R, in order for structural element to qualify for FRP strengthening, the existing structural member must maintain a certain minimum strength. This requirement is
intended to guarantee that the ultimate capacity of the structural member without the FRP reinforcement is greater than a design force corresponding to the expected service
loads under typical situations.

The minimum strength requirement in ACI 440.2R is:

Equation 1: Rn = 1.1DL + 0.75LL

Rn = design strength of the existing member without FRP

DL = new design dead load

LL = new design live load

This limit stipulates that externally bonded FRP reinforcement should be considered as secondary reinforcement and used to supplement the existing interior steel
reinforcement. Should the FRP reinforcement be compromised, the structure must maintain suf cient capacity to carry existing service loads without collapse.

Since FRP composites are designed to last for the service life of the structure, the impact of possible future renovations and modi cations should be considered where the FRP
is accidentally damaged. Such damage may not be observed immediately and the structure, or structural component, may remain in service until the damage is identi ed and
the affected areas are repaired. Equation 1 is intended to address these situations.

The limit of Equation 1 is intended to minimize the possibility of collapse due to FRP failure or damage. In cases where the design live load has a high likelihood of being
present for a sustained period of time (such as storage areas), a live load factor of 1.0 should be used instead of 0.75.

This limit is independent from re rating requirements. It must be satis ed, even if re protection is applied to the FRP system. The limit is applicable to all types of strength
increase such as shear, exure and axial strengthening, but it does not apply to extreme loading events (seismic events, blast loading or other loads classi ed by ASCE 7 as
extreme events).

Depending on dead load to live load ratio, the strength increase using FRP that satis es Equation 1 typically results in up to 40% increase in strength. If the strength increase
is higher than 40%, other conventional strengthening options should be considered.

Concrete Strength Limit

The existing concrete substrate strength is an important parameter for bond-critical applications, such as exure or shear strengthening. For FRP to develop and transfer the
design stresses at the bond line, the concrete substrate should possess suf cient strength to transfer these stresses. And, in order for the concrete to provide the minimum
bond strength of 200 psi (1.4 MPa) speci ed by ACI 440.2R, the compressive strength of concrete fc must be more than 2500 psi (17 MPa). This limit does not apply for
contact-critical applications like FRP column con nement which relies solely on contact between the FRP system and the concrete.

Fire Rating and Protection

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Fire Rating and Protection
While carbon bers are capable of resisting high temperatures, adhesive systems have a much lower threshold temperature. Fireproo ng of the FRP is an option, but the high
costs for specialized reproo ng material arent always justi able.

The re rating of strengthened structures should be evaluated without FRP. A determination needs to be made as to whether or not the reduced strength is suf cient if the FRP
fails. If it is, there is no need in reproo ng the FRP. If it is not, reproo ng materials should be evaluated for cost ef ciency and the ability to meet satisfactory re ratings.

Installation
Procedures for installing FRP systems have been developed by the system manufacturers and may differ slightly. Temperature and surface moisture of concrete at the time of
installation are the main parameters that affect the installation procedure and performance of FRP systems.

Surface preparation to create a bond between the FRP system and the existing concrete is critical. Any existing deterioration and corrosion of internal reinforcing must also be
resolved prior to installation of the FRP system. Strengthening can only be applied after all corrosion problems have been determined and resolved following the appropriate
procedures. Failure to do so can result in locking in contaminants, which may cause further deterioration and result in failure of the FRP system due to delamination of the
concrete substrate.

The International Concrete Repair Institute provides several guidelines for selection, surface preparation, and installation of repair materials. Once installed, the curing of the
FRP system depends on the time after installation and temperature during curing. Similarly, temperature extremes or uctuations can retard or accelerate FRP curing time. The
higher the temperature, the faster the system will cure anywhere from one to three days. Several grades of resin are generally available through the system manufacturer to
accommodate special situations.

Conclusion
FRP systems have been successfully used to strengthen buildings, bridges, silos, tanks, tunnels, and underground pipes. The higher cost of FRP materials is offset by reduced
costs of labor, use of equipment, and downtime during installation, making them more cost-effective than traditional strengthening techniques.

While strengthening with FRP can involve complex processes, this system offers a number of advantages compared to conventional strengthening methods. Understanding the
properties and limitations of FRP is important step in developing the right design solution and utilizing it for the right application.

About The Author Tarek Alkhrdaji, Ph.D., P.E.

Tarek Alkhrdaji, Ph.D., P.E., is Vice President of Engineering with Structural Technologies. Dr. Alkhrdaji is an active member of ACI Committee 437 (Strengthening Evaluation)
and ACI 562 (Repair Code); and he is the past Chair ACI 440F (FRP Strengthening). He is also a member of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the International
Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI). He can be reached at talkhrdaji@structuraltec.com.

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28 Comments

Lynn
June, 2015

Very interesting.
REPLY

Ammar
June, 2015

Great article!
REPLY

Matt
June, 2015

Can FRP be used to repair water-damaged reinforced concrete beams and girders in a parking garage where the slab supported by the beams and girders is
also a parking area? If so, what steps are needed to prepare the existing concrete for using the FRP? What about cases where the rebar has corroded due to

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water in ltration and some of the surface concrete has popped off? If FRP is used on a new structure, what happens if water in ltrates through the structural
members from cracks in the slab? Does the FRP cause the water to be retained in the structural members? I am assuming that FRP is relatively impervious to
water.
REPLY

Tarek
June, 2015

Matt These are very good questions. Below is my feedback.

Can FRP be used to repair water-damaged reinforced concrete beams and girders in a parking garage where the slab supported by the beams
and girders is also a parking area?
I assume you mean that the existing structural members have undergone deterioration (steel bar corrosion and spalling of concrete) due to
water leakage, chloride intrusion or similar. The answer is yes. FRP can be used to restore the capacity of the damaged structural components.
However, proper repairs must be performed prior to the application of the FRP.

If so, what steps are needed to prepare the existing concrete for using the FRP?
What about cases where the rebar has corroded due to water in ltration and some of the surface concrete has popped off?
All existing cracked and spalled concrete must be removed and the substrate repaired using appropriate concrete repair materials. Then the
surface is prepared and FRP can be installed. The design of the FRP can be based on restoring the original (or required) strength of the
structural components. This can be done by measuring the residual cross sectional area of the steel bars after cleaning to remove rust or
corrosion byproducts. If the member contains high level of chloride the a corrosion protection system may be required to protect the existing
steel bars and prevent further deterioration. This should be done prior to FRP installation.

If FRP is used on a new structure, what happens if water in ltrates through the structural members from cracks in the slab?
Does the FRP cause the water to be retained in the structural members?
If the structural member is properly designed then large cracks that lead to this conditions should not occur. However, if this condition occur
for any reason. Then FRP should not be used to cover the entire surface. Instead, FRP strips should be used and placed at given spaces to allow
the concrete member to breath and moisture to move through the member.

I am assuming that FRP is relatively impervious to water.

Correct. If the surface is completely covered with FRP then no water (or oxygen) can go through it.
REPLY

James
April, 2016

I had no idea that berglass products like FRP are used to help support structures. I do think it is a good idea. I mean, it doesnt sound like it takes much
more effort to add to the buildings concrete supports, and it just makes the structure safer. Im all for using them making them standard for buildings.
REPLY

Tarek
June, 2016

Agreed. The use of externally bonded composites is now a main stream technology backed up by tremendous amount of research con rming the
durability and structural strength increase achieved with these composites. There are now many national and international design standards for
design of FRP for structural repair and strengthening applications. Foe example, the latest ACI 562 (Repair Code)
[https://www.concrete.org/tools/562repaircodeportal.aspx] provides guidance on their use, limitations, and re rating requirements.
REPLY

Lionel
April, 2016

WHAT IS THE TYPICAL COST FOR MATERIAL AND INSTALLATION OF FRP CONCRETE REINFORCEMENT?
REPLY

Tarek
June, 2016

The cost will vary depending on many factors such as existing concrete substrate condition (good or require repairs), type and number of layers
of FRP materials, access, and detailing requirements. In general, I would say that the cost can vary from $15 per sq.ft to $50 per sq.ft, average is
close to $20-$25 range. Keep in mind that in many cases only 30 to 50% of the area to be strengthened may require coverage with FRP.
REPLY

steve
April, 2016

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I would like to research adding a fabric outer surface to concrete highway barrier. The goal would be to make the product stronger and capture any chunks
that may come loose during a collision. I could see placing a fabric or mesh in concrete mold prior to casting or adding fabric after casting. There are images
of the application on my website.
Steven Peek, PE
REPLY

Tarek
June, 2016

In this case, FRP fabric should be applied externally after the casting and reaching initial cure of the concrete material.
REPLY

Hari
April, 2016

Sir,

Your article is simply superb. And the way you simpli ed such a typical concept of strengthening is very much appealing. Even today many of us in
construction industry were under the impression that Repair and Rehabilitation is such a vast and critical subject to understand. Thanks you very much for
such a nice article, I would like to share with many of my colleagues and clients.

Thank you very much sir.

REPLY

Tarek
June, 2016

Thank you Hari for the kind words. I am glad that article was easy to read by professionals.
REPLY

Miguel
May, 2016

Dr. Alkhrdaji:

Im writing a math high school lesson and this is going to be published in http://www.teachengineering.org. This lesson is immersed in an engineering
application: Carbon ber uses in engineering. To explain how CFRP can be used to repair concrete structures, I would like to use one of the pictures included
in this article

The use of this image is not commercial, but the teachengineering.org editors requires to ful ll copyright requirements, so they are asking for your written
permission to include this image in the lesson.

Thank you very much for your help and attention

REPLY

Tarek
June, 2016

Miguel, Please contact me on my listed e-mail to discuss. Regards.

REPLY

Dave
June, 2016

Can your product be used to improve performance of URM walls? If so are you aware if its been used in that context where architectural features also need to
be preserved?
REPLY

Tarek
June, 2016

Yes. Externally FRP composites are also used to strengthen URM walls for out-of-plane bending and in-plane shear. This is typically achieved using either
surface bonded FRP fabric, or using FRP bars placed in the mortar joints and bonded with epoxy.

440.7R-10 Guide for Design & Constr of Externally Bonded FRP Systems for Strengthening Unreinforced Masonry Structures provides guidance on design
and installation, and quality control requirements.

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You can nd additional information on this at http://www.structuraltechnologies.com/product/v-wrap-frp-composite

REPLY

August, 2016

Thanks for useful information

REPLY

Darshan
November, 2016

How to choose proper GSM of FRP material for concrete beam..

REPLY

Tarek
November, 2016

It depends on the required strength increase. In some cases 300 GSM or less can be suf cient. In others, you need multiple layers of 600 GSM.
So basically, using trial and error design approach. For example, T16 is roughly equivalent to 400mm wide strip of 300 GSM but 200mm of 600
GSM is suf cient (for exure).
REPLY

aman
November, 2016

thanks for the article.

Can we use FRP to strength a RC column that is designed as C50 but fail to meet its quality standard and attained only 40MPa so that it meets its the design
strength?
REPLY

Tarek
November, 2016

Aman,

This basically translates to about 25% (or less) increase in the axial strength of the column. This is doable for round columns and possibly for
square columns. FRP is less effective for rectangular columns and its effectiveness decrease as the section aspect ratio (H/B) increases.
REPLY

Samuel
December, 2016

Very interesting.
REPLY

issam
January, 2017

thanks for your article,

Can CFRP rectify RC slabs that have exceeded de ection?

Thanks
REPLY

Tarek
January, 2017

Issam,

FRP can reduce de ection at service to some degree, however it is less effective that adding steel plates or cast in place concrete enlargement, for example.
In general, de ection is controlled by stiffness of the member. By adding reinforcement with high axial stiffness (A.E area * modulus) you can increase the
stiffness of the member and reduce its de ection. FRP is very high in strength therefore the additional area of FRP is typically small. In addition, the stiffness
of carbon FRP composites is approx 1/3 to 2/3 that of steel, which results in marginal increase in A.E of the cracked concrete section (at service). However,

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FRP has been shown (experimentally) to reduce de ection at service up to approx 30%. mainly due to its effect on reducing crack width and increasing depth
at neutral axis (which increase Icr). FRP has also shown to reduce long term de ection due to the same reasons.
REPLY

Lester
April, 2017

Is the application of carbon ber topped by a baseplate possible? Or carbon ber only and baseplate only? Thanks
REPLY

TAREK
May, 2017

You can combine the two if the design requires both, but they must be separated by glass FRP or thick layer of epoxy to prevent galvanic
corrosion between the two materials.
REPLY

Anjely
April, 2017

Sir,

Can you help me in choosing the best reproo ng system for CFRP and GFRP?
REPLY

TAREK
May, 2017

Same reproo ng material works for CFRP and GFRP. The challenge is in selecting reproo ng for FRP is that FRP has lower re resistance so typical
reproo ng materials used for steel or concrete would not be as effective with FRP. As such, only reproo ng systems that have been tested with FRP should
be used. Contact me at talkhrdaji@structuraltec.com and I can help you identify he proper reproo ng product for your project.
REPLY

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