RC Columns Upgrade: Opportunities Given by FRP and Potential of FRCC Systems

Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites have been widely used in past decades for the seismic upgrading of sub-standard reinforced concrete (RC) members and their effectiveness as a suitable strengthening technique for such kind of structural components has largely been proved. However, some concerns still arise with the effectiveness of such composite materials at high temperature, such as in the case of fire exposure. Furthermore, the use of FRPs requires a minimum quality for the concrete substrate to avoid undesirable premature failure mechanisms. Usually, the replacement of the poor quality or damaged concrete cover of existing members with a new one is needed before the strengthening intervention. Current research is now moving towards the adoption of inorganic composite materials, such as Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composite (FRCC), for repairing existing RC buildings and infrastructures as a replacement of the original concrete cover, due to its good durability properties and resistance to high temperature. The present study discusses the possibility of adopting such FRCC jacketing also for the seismic upgrading of existing shear critical RC columns. The experimental performance of RC columns strengthened with FRCC jacketing subjected to cyclic lateral loading and different axial load ratios is analyzed herein, and the experimental performance of FRCC and FRP jacketed columns is compared to point out the effectiveness of both retrofit solutions.