Bond Behaviour of FRP for Pure Axial Tension Strengthening of Concrete

Abstract

Designing fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) for pure axial tension strengthening has relied on guides primarily based on small-scale single lap shear tests. Recent tests with longer lengths of multi-layered FRP appear to indicate that the peak debonding failure load is primarily influenced by stiffness of the FRP and that effective bond lengths may exceed the predictions from current guides. In addition, it appears that the bonded length does not affect the peak force. The tests reveal that fibre anchors can help to control debonding and increase tensile capacity. The paper summarizes the testing results and discusses the implications on design.