Heat Transfer Mechanisms in Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites Bonded to Concrete

This research project investigated heat transfer mechanisms that occur during radiant heating of glass/epoxy composites bonded to concrete. The ultimate goal is to develop a field procedure for estimating the thickness of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites used to strengthen existing reinforced concrete structures. Thickness is an important parameter in the design and implementation of nondestructive testing procedures that evaluate bond in FRP systems. Four concrete samples (15 cm x 30 cm x 5 cm) were constructed with glass/epoxy composite bonded to the surface. The thickness of the composite varied from 1mm to 4mm and thermocouples were placed at 1mm intervals through the depth of the composite. Experimental data was compared with a simple theoretical model that predicts the surface temperature response of a layered system subjected to a uniform heat flux. Two factors were shown to significantly influence the heat transfer mechanism: surface absorptivity of the FRP composite and convective cooling. Additional analytical modeling using the finite element method was performed to account for these affects in an effort to obtain a better estimate of FRP thickness based on experimental data.