Structural strengthening and damage behaviors of hybrid sprayed fiber-reinforced polymer composites containing carbon fiber cores

Abstract

Recently, composite materials of a hybrid strategy are being developed to reduce the vulnerability of partial rupture failure. Simultaneously, the demand of a modelling method particularly for simulating the behavior of these materials is also emerging. This paper presents novel hybrid sprayed fiber-reinforced polymer composites containing carbon fiber cores developed for strengthening reinforced concrete structures, and a theoretical approach to model these materials. A micromechanical formulation that accounts for the hybrid characteristic of the composites was proposed to predict the overall performance of the composites. The derived model was then implemented into the nonlinear finite element codes to predict the structural behavior of the reinforced concrete beams retrofitted with the composites subjected to loading. A series of three-point bending tests of specimens were carried out to validate the predictability of the modeling technique. The obtained test results were comparatively explored with discussions of the theoretical approaches.