Round robin test on the bond behaviour of externally bonded FRP systems to concrete

The reliable characterisation of the bond behaviour of an FRP system bonded to concrete is critical for the optimal design and detailing of a strengthening solution. Although various test methods to examine the bond behaviour of externally bonded FRP systems have been proposed thus far, their implementation can lead to a wide range of results and a standard methodology has yet to be generally accepted. With these issues in mind, a Round Robin Testing programme was carried out to assess the performance and reliability of small scale testing on six externally bonded FRP strengthening systems. Seven laboratories and four manufacturers and suppliers participated in this extensive international exercise, which was initiated within the framework of the European funded Marie Curie Research Training Network, EN-CORE, with the support of Task Group 9.3 of the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib). This paper describes the proposed testing programme and summarizes the results obtained by the participating laboratories