FRCM-Composites for Strengthening Concrete Walls with Openings : Experimental and Numerical Analysis

Upgrading existing buildings to new functional requirements may require new openings that can weaken the structure, prompting the need for strengthening. In such cases, traditional strengthening solutions, such as creating a reinforced concrete or steel frame around the opening, imply long-term restrictions in the use of the structure. In this study, the author carries experimental and numerical investigations on fiber reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composites and their effectiveness for strengthening reinforced concrete walls with openings. To assess the performance of FRCM composite having different fiber types and their suitability for strengthening reinforce concrete walls with openings, single-lap direct shear tests were carried out using carbon, glass, and basalt FRCM-concrete joints. A novel non-contact measurement approach, based on digital image photogrammetry, applied to the experimental study of the bond behavior of FRCM composites was proposed and investigated. The proposed measurement approach showed higher spatial measurement resolution and increased accuracy compared to traditional contact approaches. The effect of cutout openings on the structural behavior of concrete walls was investigated experimentally, by loading to failure, half-scale, precast reinforced concrete panels with and without openings. The tested specimens were two-way action panels to which axial load with a small eccentricity was applied, thus the tested panels were representative of wall panels in buildings. The effect of cutout openings on the global behavior of a building structure was investigated through finite element analysis of an existing building where cutout openings were introduced in wall panels. Depending on their size, cutout openings can significantly decrease the capacity of the wall. The effectiveness of FRCM strengthening to restore the capacity walls with cutout openings was investigated experimentally. FRCM strengthening increased the capacity of walls having small door type openings (opening width was 25% of the wall’s width) to that of the solid wall. The capacity of the walls with large cutout openings was (opening width was 50% of the wall’s width) was increased to 75% of the solid wall’s capacity. The numerical and experimental analysis indicated that the decrease in axial load caused by cutout openings was proportional to the width opening. However, the numerical analysis of buildings structure indicated that the effects of openings on the buildings load carrying capacity are less severe