COMPARISON AND RETROFITTING OF RCC COLUMNS WITH FRP OVERLAYS

The book describes a detailed comparision of the various engineering properties of an FRP column and a reinforced concrete column. Also, a detailed understanding of the various processes involved in the manufacturing and testing of a FRP composite for retrofitting has been presented. There is a considerable number of existing reinforced concrete structures that do not meet current design standards because of inadequate design and/or construction or need structural upgrading to meet new seismic design requirements. Inadequate performance of this type of structures is a major concern from public safety standpoint. This paper presents an experimental research program aimed at developing a retrofitting technique that utilizes locally available high strength, lightweight, corrosion resistance advanced composites for retrofitting existing reinforced concrete columns. The proposed technique consists of applying Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) to all surfaces of the concrete column to increase its stiffness and flexural strength.