Tensile Capacity of Corroded Steel Section Strengthened Using Fiber Composite Wrap

Abstract

Strengthening and rehabilitation of structures is a major concern for researchers in the civil engineering community in recent years due to the aging of structures and the need for effective methods of strengthening. Many researches are being carried out on strengthening of reinforced concrete structures using fiber composite materials. A very few researches are being reported on strengthening of corroded steel members using fiber composite materials. Since corrosion is an inevitable problem related to steel structures, especially in offshore oil and gas industry, it is very much essential to investigate the suitability of composite materials on structural steel section. In this present study, an experimental investigation is being carried out with 26 numbers of corroded steel coupon specimens with two different fibers – Carbon Fiber (CF) and Glass Fiber (GF). Strengthening was achieved by single and double layer wrapping of FRP to the steel plates and the tests were conducted. The test results show that FRP strengthening is capable of enhancing the tensile strength sufficiently provided adequate bonding is achieved.
Keywords: Composite, strengthening, corrosion, fiber, wrap, steel, carbon, glass