Behavior of

Concrete Columns
Confined by FRP
FATIMA KHALID
CE-131/2015-2016

Overview
Introduction to FRP
Structural Applications
Parameters
Column Confinement
Models

Why Columns need

Confinement?
confine the concrete core to
provide increased strength
and sufficient deformability
(ductility)
The confinement
reinforcement was developed
so that the compressive
strength of the confined core
of a column after spalling

Ways of column
confinement
Reinforced Concrete Cage
Steel Jackets
FRP Wraps

What is FRP?
Fibres

Matrix

Provide strength
and stiffness

Protects and transfers load

between fibres

Carbon, glass, aramid

Epoxy, polyester, vinyl ester

Fibre

Composite

Matrix

Creates a material with attributes superior to either component alone!

What is FRP?
Fibre-reinforced
plastic(FRP) is acomposite
material, made of filaments of
high performance fibers such
as glass, carbon and Kevlar
that are woven into a fabric,
then saturated in an epoxy
matrix and bonded to the
concrete substrate.

Advantages
Typical fiber tensile strength ranges
from 500 to 700 ksi.
The specific gravity of the fibers is
about one fifth that of steel.
High-strength and lightweight fabrics
Not prone to electrochemical corrosion
Easily installable
Less labor intensive
Highly durable
It is available in various sizes,
geometry and dimensions

Structural applications
FRP can be applied to strengthen
thebeams,columns, andslabsof
buildings and bridges.
It is possible to increase the strength of
structural members even after they have
been severely damaged due
toloadingconditions.
Two techniques are typically adopted for the
strengthening of beams, relating to the
strength enhancement desired:flexural
strengtheningorshear strengthening.
Columns are typically wrapped with FRP
around their perimeter, as with closed or

Strengthening applications
Type
Flexural

Shear

Confinement

Application

Fibre Dir.

Schematic

Tension and/or Along long.

side face of
axis of beam
beam

Section

Side face of
beam (u-wrap)

Perpendicular
to long. axis
of beam

Section

Around
column

Circumferential
Section

FRP column wrapping

Improvements in ductility factors of up to 10
fold have been achieved through the use of FRP
column wrapping.
The majority of structural deficiencies in existing
concrete columns can be attributed to lack of
transverse reinforcement.
Columns with insufficient transverse
reinforcement suffer;
i) premature shear failure,
ii) brittle crushing of unconfined concrete and
iii) reinforcement splice failure if the
longitudinal reinforcement is spliced at or near
a potential plastic hinge region.
FRP sheets provide an excellent opportunity to

CONTD
The wrap is made of layers of fibres. Each layer
may have the fibres oriented in multiple
directions to protect the column from reverse
cyclic loading or other loadings due to seismic
activity.
The FRP wrap method also protects the RC
column from the flexural plastic hinge failure
mode.
Continuous fibres wrap helps prevent concrete
spalling and provides lateral support to the steel
longitudinal reinforcements.
The wrap acts as a jacket around the column
providing support in all the principal load
directions. The wrap also does not have joints or

Parameters
Stiffness of the confinement
Shape of the section
Concrete strength
Type of fibre and resin
The number of layers
Fiber volume and fiber orientation in
the jacket
Jacket thickness
The interface bond between the core
and the jacket

Different
Studies

Maximum gain in
strength when
columns are fully
wrapped along the
length or 2/3rd of the
length

FRP Materials
2500
Stress [MPa]

FRP properties
(versus steel):
Linear elastic behavior
to failure
No yielding
Higher ultimate strength
Lower strain at failure

2000
1500

CFRP
GFRP

1000

Steel

500
1

2
Strain [%]

2
layer

1
layer

Circular Column

Square Column

Confinement all around

Confinement only in some areas

Column Strengthening
FRP sheets can be wrapped around concrete columns to
increase strength, load capacity, deformation capability
How it works:
Internal reinforcing steel
Concrete
FRP wrap

Concrete
shortens

and dilates

FRP confines
the concrete

flfrp

and places it in
triaxial stress

Column Strengthening
Based on equilibrium, the lateral confinement
pressure exerted by the FRP, flfrp:
flfrp =

2 Nb frp ffrpu tfrp

Dg

Nb = number of FRP layers

frp = material resistance factor for FRP
ffrpu = ultimate FRP strength
tfrp = FRP thickness

Column Strengthening
The benefit of a confining pressure is to increase
the confined compressive concrete strength, fcc
fcc = fc + k1 flfrp
fc = ultimate strength of unconfined concrete
k1 = empirical coefficient from tests

SOME MODELS

fcc = fc + k1 flfrp

MODEL

k1

Richart et al (1938)
Newman
Newman and
and Newman
Newman
(1971)
(1971)

4.1

Saatcioglu and
Saatcioglu
Rzvi(1992) and
Rzvi(1992)
Karbhari and Gaos
Karbhari
(1997) and Gaos
(1997)
Samaan et al. (1998)
Samaan et al. (1998)
Miyauchi et al. (1999)

2.98

Miyauchi
et(1999)
al. (1999)
Saafi
et al.

2.98

Saafi
et al.
(1999)
Toutanji
(1999)
Toutanji (1999)

Conclusion
The observed increase in concrete
compressive strength of FRP wrapped column
as compared with the unjacketed column,
ranged from 113 to 152%.
The efficiency of the small-scale square
specimens is approximately 70% of that of
the circular specimens
Uniaxial compression tests on concrete-filled
FRP tubes indicates that fibre composites are
an effective means of confinement, as they
significantly increase both strength and
ductility of concrete.
Significant increase in strength and ductility
of concrete can be achieved by carbon fibre