Star 234-DUC: Design procedures for the use of composites in strengthening of reinforced concrete structures

Abstract

Strengthening and retrofitting of existing structures have been widely discussed topics for the last few decades. A great number of existing structures need rehabilitation or strengthening because of improper design or construction, change of the design loads, damage caused by environmental and/or human factors, seismic events, etc. Several different systems have been developed and used to strengthen existing structures. They include replacing structural members, adding new material to improve their performance, modifying the restraint conditions, introducing post-tension, etc. These techniques have been proven to be effective, but in some cases they can be expensive and difficult to apply. The use of fibre reinforced composites applied to existing structural elements may represent a cost-effective alternative to such traditional strengthening techniques...