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RETROFITTING SQUARE RC COLUMNS USING

FRP AND PRECAST CONCRETE SEGMENTS

Conference Paper · May 2013

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Muhammad N.S. Hadi Thong M. Pham

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 Reinforcement, mechanical property

S3-6-4

RETROFITTING SQUARE RC COLUMNS USING FRP AND PRECAST

CONCRETE SEGMENTS

Thong Minh PHAM

PhD Candidate, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia

Muhammad N. S. HADI
Associate Professor, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia

ABSTRACT:
This study evaluates different methods of strengthening existing square concrete columns under eccentric loading.
Twelve reinforced square concrete columns were cast. Four columns were kept square as reference, four columns
were modified with round corners and wrapped with three layers of CFRP, and four were circularised by circular
segments and wrapped with three layers of CFRP. Specimens from each group were tested under concentric,
eccentric (15 or 25 mm) and flexural bending. Results from the study showed that segmental circular concrete
covers considerably reduce stress concentration at the corners. FRP wrapped columns with circular segments
showed significant increase in load-carrying capacity compared to columns with only round corners.

Keywords: FRP, strengthening, eccentric loading, shape modification.

1. INTRODUCTION rounded corners) was compared to that of the modified

Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) has been widely used
as an effective material for retrofitting. It can be applied
to structural members to increase their capacities, for
instance, shear resistance of beams/columns, bending
moment of beams, and axial load of columns. In order
to strengthen an existing reinforced square concrete
column, FRP is usually wrapped horizontally around
the column to improve its strength and ductility [1-5].
The retrofitted columns in these studies usually have
round corners to prevent premature damage of the FRP.
It is found that a FRP wrapped square column without
rounding the corners cause unexpected results [6].
Rochette and Labossiere [4] found that the strength and
ductility of FRP wrapped columns increase as the
radius of the column corners increase. It is evident that
a circular section is most effective in load carrying
capacity whereas a square section is the least effective.
Therefore, in order to strengthen existing square
columns, changing the section of the columns from
square to circular prior to wrapping with FRP is a good
solution, which needs to be investigated and verified
for practical applications.
Wrapping reinforced square concrete columns with
FRP was observed to outperform other retrofitting
methods. To further investigate a new method to
strengthen existing reinforced square columns, this
study proposes a new technique that is a combination of
shape modification and confinement effects. The square
column was bonded with four segmental circular
concrete covers to achieve the modified circular column.
The circular column was then wrapped with three
layers of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP).
The confinement effect of square columns (with
circular columns to prove the efficacy of the proposed
retrofitting method. Interaction diagrams are also
presented to illustrate the behavior of columns under
concentric load, eccentric loads, and flexure.
2. EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM
2.1 Design of Experiments
A total of twelve reinforced square concrete columns,
classified into three groups, were cast and tested at the
High Bay laboratory of the University of Wollongong.
The dimensions of the columns were 150 mm by 150
mm in cross section and 800 mm in height. The first
group (Group R) was considered as a reference group
with no external confinement or any modification of the
section. The second group (Group RF) was cast to have
20 mm round corners which were horizontally wrapped
with three layers of CFRP (75 mm in width). The third
group, Group CF, was bonded with four segmental
circular concrete covers to modify the shapes of the
cross sections from square to circular. Columns of
Group CF were horizontally wrapped with three layers
of CFRP. From each group the first column was
concentrically loaded, while the second and the third
columns were subjected to eccentric loading at 15 mm
and 25 mm, respectively. The fourth specimen was
tested under four-point loading as a beam to observe the
flexural behavior.
The notation of the specimens consists of two parts: the
first part is “R-”, “RF-”, and “CF-” denoting the name
of the group to which the specimens belong to
(Reference, Round corners with FRP, and Circular with
FRP, respectively). The second part indicates the
loading conditions. For instance, “0” means concentric

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 Reinforcement, mechanical property

load, “F” is flexural looading, “15” and “25” m mean addded to each rectangular seggment in orderr to create a
loading at 15 and 25 mm eccentriccity, respectivvely. molld for the con ncrete cover ((Fig. 2). Each
h segmental
Table 1 shoows the test maatrix of the ex
xperiments. circcular concrete cover had a chord of 150 0 mm (equal
to the
t side length h of the core column sectiion) and the
Table 1 Test matrix x heigght of the seg
gment was 31 mm. After 28 2 days, any
External foam m attached tot the concrrete surface covers was
Specimen Modificationn Eccentriccity rem
moved and th he surface grround to enssure smooth
Reinforcemeent
R-0 0 conntact when bonnding with FRRP.
R-15 15
None None
R-25 25
R-F Flexuraal
RF-0 0
20 mm
RF-15 Three layerrs 15
Round
RF-25 of CFRP 25
Corners
RF-F Flexuraal
CF-0 0
CF-15 Three layerrs 15
C
Circularizationn
CF-25 of CFRP 25
CF-F Flexuraal g. 2 Formworrks: (a) Core columns, (b
Fig b) Concrete
Coverrs
The nominaal compressivve strength of concrete
c usedd was
For Group CF, each
e specimeen was bondeed with four
32 MPa. T The internal reinforcement of each off the
mental circular concrete ccovers using Microsphere
segm M
tested speciimens consistted of 4N12 (12
( mm deforrmed
Blen
nd, mixed tog gether with eppoxy resin with 2:1 ratio
bars with 500 MPa nominal tenssile strength)) as
(Fig
g. 3). The epooxy resin had 54 MPa tenssile strength,
longitudinaal bars and R66 plain bars (6
( mm plain bars
2.8 GPa tensile modulus and 3.4% tensilee elongation.
with 250 MMPa nominal tensile
t strength) ties at 120 mm
Nexxt, the specim
mens were wraapped with thrree layers of
spacing. FFig. 1 showss the cross sections of the
CFRRP and left to dry for 7 ddays as specified by the
specimens.
supp
plier.

(a) (b)
g. 3 (a) Concrete covers, (b) Bonded specimens
Fig

Thee adhesive used was a mixxture of epox xy resin and

hard dener at 5:1 raatio. Before thhe first layer of
o CFRP was
attaached, the adh hesive was sppread onto the surface of
the column and th he CFRP wass attached onto o the surface.
Afteer the first ring, the adhessive was spreead onto the
Fig. 1 Cross secttions of the specimens
s surfface of the firrst layer of CFFRP and the second
s layer
(All units in mm) wass continuously y bonded. Thee third layer of o CFRP was
applied in a sim milar manner,, ensuring th hat 100 mm
2.2 Specimmen Fabricattion oveerlap was main ntained. The m main fiber orieentation was
Normal streength ready-m
mix concrete was
w supplied by a perp pendicular to the
t longitudinnal axis of the column.
local suppllier. Two forrmworks mad de from plywwood
were used to constructt the core sppecimens andd the 2.3 Preliminary Tests
segmental circular conccrete covers (Fig. 2). Forr the Commpression testts at 28 days showed that the average
segmental circular conncrete coverss, a box off 34 com
mpressive strength of the cconcrete was 27 MPa. To
rectangular segments haaving a dimeension of 51xx170 deteermine the maaterial propert
rties of CFRP
P, which was
mm2, weree built. Next, a section mold
m of foam was usedd as the conffining materiaal, the CFRP flat coupon

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 Reinforcement, mechanical property

tests were conducted acccording to ASTM

A D7565 [7]. macchine. In ordeer to measure the lateral deeflection for
The averagge width of thee test coupons was 28 mm m and the eccentrically loaded colum mns and the deeflection for
the averagee maximum teensile force per unit width was the flexural tests, a laser trianngulation sensor was used
1972 N/mm m. The strain at
a the average maximum tennsile andd connected to t the data llogger as weell. For the
force and the average elastic mod dulus were 00.024 coluumn tests, thhe laser trianngulation wass set up at
mm/mm annd 82 kN/mm,, respectively.. Three specim mens midd-height of thee column. Forr the beam tessts, the laser
of N12 defformed bars annd R6 plain bars
b with 250 mm trian
ngulation wass placed on a hole which is i located at
in length w
were prepared and tested in n accordance with middspan of the bottom loadinng plate. Thee tests were
AS 1391 [88]. The tests reevealed that th
he average tennsile connducted as deflection contrrolled with a rate of 0.3
strengths off N12 and R66 were 568 MPa
M and 478 M MPa, mm m/min to 0.5 mm/min.
m
respectivelyy.

2.4 Column Testing

For testing of specimens, a special loaading head sysstem
was used to apply thee required ecccentric load s as
illustrated in Hadi andd Widiarsa’s study [9]. The
loading heaad contained twot main partts: a 25 mm tthick
steel plate (see Fig. 4a) sitting on toop of the coluumn,
and a circuular roller loaading (see Fig g. 4b) weldedd on
another 25 mm thick steeel plate with a specific disttance
which equaals to the ecceentricity, offseet from the ceenter
line of the plate. A pairr of two plattes was placeed as
shown in Fig. 4c. Dettails of the eccentric loaading Fig. 5 Four-point looading system
system aree depicted inn Fig. 4d, which w shows the
configuratioon of the loadding plates. 3. EXPERIMEN
E NTAL RESULLTS AND DIS
SCUSSION

t specimenss was calculated as shown

Thee ductility of the
in Tables
T 2 and 3. It was caalculated as given
g in the
following formulla by Hadi [111]:

ఋఴఱ
ߣൌ (1)
ఋ೤೔೐೗೏
೗೏

wheere 85 is the 85%

8 post-ultim d yield is the
imate load and
yielld load, which was dettermined bassed on the
defiinition by Pessiki and Pierooni [12].

3.1 Failure mod des

All the columns were tested tto fail. For co oncentrically
loadded columns, Specimen R-00 failed by concrete cover
spallling and buck kling of longiitudinal reinfo
orcement. In
Fig. 4 Lo
oading system otheer words, Sp pecimens RF--0 and CF-0 failed in a
diffferent manner, which can bbe observed by b rupturing
The Denisoon 5000 kN testing machine was usedd for of FRP
F at upper midheight
m of tthe column. The
T concrete
testing all oof the specimens. The colu umns were cappped wass completely crushed but w was held by the FRP as
with high sstrength plastter at both en nds to ensure full show wn in Fig. 6.
contact betw ween the loadding heads and d the column. The
first loadingg head was pllaced on the flat
f steel platee and
the colum mn was thenn seated verrtically uponn it.
Calibration was then performed
p to ensure that the
columns w were placed at the centeer of the tessting
machine. F For the flexuraal tests, two four-point
f loaading
systems weere used. Thhe “square” four-point
f loaading
frame by Hadi and Widiarsa [9]] was used for
Specimens R-F and RF-F whilee the “circuular”
four-point lloading framee by Yazici an nd Hadi [10] was
used for Sppecimen CF-F. Fig. 5 illustrrates details off the
four-point lloading systemm.

The axial ddeflection of thhe column waas monitored by a

Linear Vaariable Differrential Transsformer (LV VDT) (a) R-0 (b) RF-0 (cc) CF-0
attached to the lower mooving plate off the compresssing Fig. 6 Failure modes (concentric load)
l

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 Reinforcement, mechanical property

As can be seen in Fig. 8, all columns sho owed similar

behhavior during the first stagee where concrrete was not
crusshed. Howeveer, Specimen R R-0 showed a descending
bran nch at the seccond stage wwhile confined d Specimens
RF--0 and CF-0 showed
s an asscending brannch which is
achieved by the confinement eeffect of FRP P. Significant
incrrease in ultimaate load and dductility can be
b witnessed
for confined coluumns compareed to unconfin ned columns.
For the confined d columns, eaach sudden drop d of load
wass caused by thet rupture off one ring off CFRP, and
afteer three to four
f CFRP riings were ru uptured, the
coluumn failed. For
F Specimenn RF-0, the applieda load
wass gradually inccreased to 15442 kN, after which
w a loud
(a) RF-15 (b) CF-25
craccking sound could
c be heardd when one riing of CFRP
Fig. 7 Failure modes
m (eccen
ntric load)
rupttured, and the load immedia iately droppedd to 1194 kN.
Subbsequently, a small part off a CFRP rin ng ruptured,
For unconffined columnns, Specimenss R-15 and R R-25
whiich led to a sllow decrease of the comprressive load.
failed by concrete covver spalling and longituddinal
Thee load of Speccimen CF-0 dr dropped faster than that of
reinforcemeent buckling in the com mpression reggion.
Speecimen RF-0. That load waas witnessed by b a sudden
Some big ccracks could be b found in th he tensile zonne of
drop p from 2924 kN to 928 kN N (68%). At that time, a
these speciimens at the same time. Specimen RF F-15
very y loud soundd was heard ffrom two ring gs of CFRP
failed by crushing of concrete in the compresssion
ruptturing simultaaneously.
region. Craacking of the column in th he tension reegion
occurred onnly between twot rings of FRP
F at midheeight.
3.3 Columns un nder eccentriic loading
Specimen R RF-25 failed byb rupture of longitudinal
l stteels
Thee second and d third colum mns in each group were
in the tensioon region. Intterestingly, no
o FRP rupture was
subjject to 15 mmm and 25 mm eccentrric loading,
observed inn both cases. On the other hand, Specim mens
resp
pectively. Tabble 3 depicts the results of eccentric
CF-15 and CF-25 failed by rupture of FRP at midheeight,
load
ding tests; Fig
gs. 9 and 10 sshow the load - deflection
and concrette crushed in the compresssion region. S Some
grap
phs of the eccentrically loadded columns.
cracks weree found in the tension region. Fig. 7 shhows
the modes oof failure of ecccentrically lo
oaded columnns.
Tab
ble 3 Summa ary of tested ccolumns, e=15 mm and
e=25 mmm
3.2 Columns under con ncentric load ding
The first ccolumn of each
e group was
w tested uunder Specimen R-115 RF-15 CF-15
concentric loading untill failure. Resuults of the teested Yield Load (kN) 5633 635 1202
columns are given in Taable 2 and the load – deflecction Corrresponding
1.244 1.58 2.02
diagrams arre shown in Fiig. 8. Axiial Defl. (mm))
Ultiimate Load (kkN) 5799 686 1489
Table 2 Summaryy of tested co
olumns, e=0 Corrresponding
1.366 2.31 6.50
Specimen R-0 RF-0
R CF--0 Axiial Defl. (mm))
Yield Load (kN) 717 796 14778 Corrresponding
2.344 5.42 19.50
Correspondding Lateeral Defl. (mm
m)
1.31 1.85 2.001 Ducctility 1.633 5.22 4.82
Axial Defl. (mm)
Ultimate Looad (kN) 717 1564
1 29007
Correspondding Specimen R-225 RF-25 CF-25
1.46 22.76
2 13.335 Yield Load (kN) 4144 515 1011
Axial Defl. (mm)
Ductility 1.41 13.42
1 6.998 Corrresponding
0.966 1.68 1.69
Axiial Defl. (mm))
Ultiimate Load (kkN) 4277 562 1170
Corrresponding
1.088 2.91 6.12
Axiial Defl. (mm))
Corrresponding
2.333 8.10 21.75
Lateeral Defl. (mm
m)
Ducctility 1.333 4.73 5.11

Thee behavior of the specimenns under eccen ntric load is

diffferent from thaat under conccentric load affter the yield
loadds. After reaaching the yiield loads, th he confined
speccimens underr concentric lload kept rising towards
the ultimate loadds with other sslopes of the load – axial
F
Fig. 8 Load – deflection pllot, e=0 defllection diagraams which beelonged to th he ascending
bran nch. In otherr words, the confined sp pecimens of

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 Reinforcement, mechanical property

Group CF under eccenttric load soareed directly too the ecceentric loads of 15 mm and 225 mm in which the axial
ultimate loaads from the value of zero and then fa failed load
ds were recorrded from thee testing mach
hine and the
quickly by rupture of CFFRP. It can bee clearly seenn that ben
nding momentts were calcul ulated by Eq. 2 and (3) a
the confineed specimens showed the ascending braanch puree bending moment
m observved from thee four-point
under concentric load buut the descend
ding branch uunder load
ding test.
eccentric looad.
‫ ܯ‬ൌ ܲ௠௔௫ ሺ݁ ൅ ߜሻ (2)
As can be sseen in Figs. 9 and 10, the specimens
s witth an
identical section behavedd in a similar manner
m duringg the wheere Pmax is the ultimatee axial load d; e is the
first stage of the diaggram when concrete
c was not ecceentricity of loading; and δ iis the lateral deflection
d at
crushed. As a result, sppecimens in Groups
G R andd RF the ultimate load.
showed thee same slope of curve in the load – aaxial
deflection ddiagram.

Fig. 9 Load – deflection

d plo
ot, e=15 Fig. 11 Axial stress – sstrain diagram
ms for
conceentrically loadding columns

All the results of this study w were plotted in the same

axiaal load – bennding moment nt diagrams too clarify the
effeective confinem
ment of thesee methods as shown
s in Fig.
12. The confineement efficienncy is compared to the
corrresponding value
v of Grooup R. For Group CF
speccimens, the concrete
c of ccovers and co ore columns
worrked together until failure.. No debondiing between
coree square coluumns and seggmental circu ular concrete
covvers was observed.

Fig
g. 10 Load – deflection pllot, e=25

3.4 Confinement effectts

The nominnal average axial a stress ofo the specim mens
under conccentric load wasw calculated d by dividingg the
axial load bby the cross sectional area of the specim mens.
The axial sttress – strain curves
c are preesented in Figg. 11.
The slope oof the post-peeak curve of Specimen
S CF--0 is
higher thann that of Speciimen RF-0. Th hus, it can be seen
that the m most effectivve confinem ment occurredd in
Specimen C CF-0, followedd by Specimen n RF-0.
Fig. 12 Interraction diagra
rams of the columns
c
3.5 Interacction diagramms
An axial lload - bendinng moment (P-M) ( interacction 4. CONCLUSIO
C ONS
diagram is a continuouss curve used to determinee the
axial load ((P) and bendiing moment (M M) of a givenn RC Bassed on the ressults of the exxperimental program,
p the
column crooss section annd material. Each
E point onn this following conclusion can be drrawn:
curve incluudes two compponents: the value
v of the aaxial (1) Strengthenning a columnn with segmental circular
loading andd the correspoonding bending moment. Inn this concrete covers
c and wrrapping with CFRP as in
study, an experimental interaction
i diaagram was drrawn Group CF C is successsful. The experiments
based on ffour points: (1) a pure axial
a load off the indicate th
hat the wholee section of th he specimen
column unnder a concenntric load, (2 2) two pointts of acts as a whole
w until faiilure (no debo
onding). The

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 Reinforcement, mechanical property
whole modified section was strengthened by the
confinement materials.
(2) All confined specimens showed higher
load-carrying capacity compared to the
unconfined specimens. Among the two groups
which were externally confined, Group CF
achieved the highest load-carrying capacity,
followed by Group RF. This enhancement is
mainly because the segmental circular concrete
covers considerably increase the cross sectional
area of the specimens.
(3) For CFRP confined specimens in Groups RF and
CF, the descending branch of the load – axial
deflection diagrams after ultimate load can be
witnessed for eccentric loading tests while the
ascending branch was achieved from
concentrically loaded specimens. This
phenomenon indicates that eccentricity
decreases the confinement efficiency of CFRP.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution
of Mr. Xu Lei who helped in conducting the
experiments. The contribution of Mr. Fernando
Escribano, the main technical officer of this study, is
appreciated. Finally, the first author would like to
acknowledge the Vietnamese Government for the
support of his full PhD scholarship.
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First International Conference on Concrete Sustainability
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