| Abstract |
The number of structures reinforced and/or retrofitted with fibre reinforced polymers (FRP) has increased exponentially since their first application in the nineties. Even thought, the kind of reinforcements as well as the technology used to do them is still in its beginnings: composite materials offer more possibilities that had not been explored yet. In this context, this project seeks to improve the computation tools and the existing technologies for structural reinforcement and retrofitting using FRP.
During the last years CIMNE has been developing a general theory for composite materials. This theory has been already trespassed to FRP structural reinforcements (as it has been proved in the previous project made for the Ministerio de Fomento). Until now, all developments carried out to study FRP reinforcements only allow a macro-mechanical simulation of them. Thus, the cases that can be considered are reduced to simple situations such as bending reinforcements. To be able to study more complex situations, some micro-mechanical formulations must be included in the existing code.
This project will formulate and develop new theories which will allow improving the numerical simulation of composite materials used for structural reinforcement: The rule of mixtures will be improved to obtain a better prediction of composite behaviour. A new theory will be formulated to obtain the critical and post-critical composite strength when it is affected by compressive loads. And, finally, a new theory will be formulated to consider delamination effects in composites.
With all these new implementations, the resultant numerical code will be enough precise and robust to allow finding new technologies in the field of FRP structural reinforcement. Specifically, this project will study structural joint reinforcements and the anchorage of the composite material to the existing structure. An experimental campaign will be carried out, at the same time as the numerical simulation, in order to validate the numerical code and the solutions proposed to improve FRP reinforcements. |
