Anchoring FRP laminates for the seismic strengthening of RC columns

This paper aims to examine the effectiveness of seismic strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) columns by externally bonded Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP). Particularly, a novel strengthening system, designed for the flexural strengthening of columns is studied. This flexural strengthening is achieved by FRP plates bonded longitudinally and anchored at the column-stub junction. The proposed system is validated through an experimental campaign carried out on full-scale RC columns. Different strengthening configurations have been applied on columns, which were tested under combined constant axial and reversed cyclic lateral load. The experimental results demonstrate that bonded FRP enhance the bending moment capacity and flexural deformation capacity of strengthened columns. Those tests helped us to analyze the behaviour of columns depending on the FRP confinement (FRP jacket) and the coupling of the confinement with the anchored flexural strengthening. It was then found that the proposed anchoring system is a promising constructive dis-position for the seismic strengthening of columns, but this system needs to be improved.