Confinement of existing RC and masonry columns with FRCM composites: Aci-RileM provisions

The use of fiber reinforced cementitious mortar (FRCM) composites for repair/retrofitting existing reinforced concrete (RC) and masonry structures has gained increasing interest. Among the different applications of FRCM composites is the use for confinement of columns. Recent efforts have been made within the scientific community to investigate the response of FRCM-confined columns, and on the basis of available results, ACI guidelines have been published to support their design. On the other hand, scientific and technical commissions are also working in Europe, in some cases in conjunction with the related ACI committees, to harmonize design approaches and extend design relationships to existing structures typical of European countries. In this work the most relevant design issues related to FRCM confinement of RC and masonry columns are discussed in light of available experimental and theoretical results. Design relationships for American and European guidelines are presented, and critical aspects are identified to provide suggestions for future research and technical work