CFRP wraps for corrosion repair of reinforced concrete columns and corrosion monitoring

grantor: University of TorontoThis experimental study is a part of an ongoing research project initiated by Lee (1998) and continued by Khajehpour (2001). This research is aimed at evaluating repair of large-scale reinforced concrete columns using carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets, in terms of establishing the effect of wraps on the corrosion of steel reinforcement. This project involves the construction and testing of six reinforced concrete columns, testing eleven columns remaining from the previous study. Four specimens were repaired with CFRP wraps. Testing included accelerated corrosion of both new and repaired specimens and natural corrosion of the reinforcement in five columns (including two repaired), and one prism specimen. It was found that corrosion activity temporarily increases after repair. After initial increase, the rate of corrosion becomes the same as in unwrapped columns or slightly lower. Columns subjected to natural corrosion expand less than before repair due to restraining effect of the wrap. Columns subjected to accelerated corrosion do not expand for sometime, after which they expand gradually.M.A.Sc