Assessment of FRP-confined concrete : understanding behavior and issues in nondestructive evaluation using radar

Increase in the use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials for strengthening and retrofitting of concrete columns and bridge piers has urged the development of' an effective non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methodology. Radar technologies have shown great potential for assessing the structural and material integrity of FRP-confined concrete systems. In developing such technology, an interdisciplinary approach must be pursued by integrating contributions of various engineering fields. Under this framework, this thesis aims at establishing fundamental knowledge in two particular research areas: the mechanics and damage behavior of FRP-confined concrete and the characterization of electromagnetic (EM) properties for concrete and FRP materials. Research on mechanics and damage behavior of FRP-confined concrete involved a thorough literature survey on the state-of-the-art understanding of the subject and the execution of an experimental program for load-deformation characterization of FRP-confined concrete cylindrical specimens subjected to monotonic axial compressive loads. Based on the experimental results and comparative studies with recent analytical models, the experimental program was extended to the characterization of specific damage levels using a volumetric deformation metric. Visual inspection of the concrete core of specimens previously loaded to levels close to ultimate failure revealed the existence of significant residual volumetric strains, which upon the removal of the FRP jacket could provoke severe concrete cracking and catastrophic failure.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Ortega, Jose Alberto, 1978-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Oral Büyüköztürk.

• Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/34645

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/34645