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Structural Reinforced Polymer Composites

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 25012

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Theodoros Rousakis

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, GR-67 100 Xanthi, Greece
Interests: repair and strengthening of reinforced concrete elements and masonry walls with fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs); three-dimensional dynamic finite element analysis of repaired and strengthened structural elements and structures; resilience upgrade of RC structures
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Prof. Dr. Alper Ilki

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Co-Guest Editor

Structural and Earthquake Engineering Laboratory, Civil Engineering Faculty, Istanbul Technical University, 34469 Maslak Istanbul, Turkey
Interests: structural engineering; reinforced concrete structures; masonry structures; seismic retrofit with advanced materials; seismic performance assessment
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Prof. Dr. Arkadiusz Kwiecień

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Co-Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, Politechnika Krakowska, Krakow, Poland
Interests: concrete reinforcement; laminates
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Dr. Matija Gams

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Co-Guest Editor

Chair of Structural and Earthquake Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: earthquake engineering; masonry structures; testing; structural assessment and retrofitting; numerical modelling
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Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Spyridis

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Co-Guest Editor

Architektur und Bauingenieurwesen, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
Interests: tunnels; fastenings; concrete; reliability; life cycle
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Special Issue Information

The available innovative materials and intervention techniques—namely externally bonded reinforcements such as fiber-reinforced polymers and polymer resin injection inside cracks—are widely used to rehabilitate structural members (especially reinforced concrete and masonry) in addition to other conventional methods. Polymer-based materials and adhesives are used in structural connections and interfaces as well as in mechanical anchoring. Highly deformable polymer joints are among several innovative techniques aiming to engage different structural components and ensure their desirable interaction towards ductile and safer behavior of the structures.

Successful prediction of the reduced service life of structural systems and timely damage identification are crucial in meeting the required safety and resilience levels. On the other hand, sustainable, durable, and resilient retrofit materials and techniques are of high importance in this task, in which polymers and polymer-based materials are highly involved. Further, advanced multiphysics, multidisciplinary, and interdisciplinary modeling and analyses through dynamic or static numerical approaches provide unique insights and facilitate efficient innovative retrofit details while reducing experimental validation costs. Each solution needs to also realistically evaluated and the effects of various sources of uncertainties mitigated, such as interacting loads and environmental actions or natural hazards, the performance of novel and aging or exposed materials, the predictive accuracy of models used, and the construction quality. Under these circumstances, the structural assessment of the system prior to and after the intervention requires techniques and concepts with advanced reliability. This Special Issue aims at providing the engineering community with a collection of high-quality and peer-reviewed papers addressing different aspects of Structural Reinforced Polymer Composites.

Keywords

resilience
retrofit
polymer-based intervention materials
polymer composites
advanced static and dynamic 3-dimensional numerical analytical approaches
structural health monitoring
damage detection techniques
life cycle assessment
performance-based design
performance indicators
safety and reliability
fastenings/anchorages

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 8388 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Eco-Friendly, High-Ductility Slag/Fly-Ash-Based Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) Reinforced with PE Fibers

by Eskinder Desta Shumuye, Jie Liu, Weiwen Li and Zike Wang

Polymers 2022, 14(9), 1760; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14091760 - 26 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2720

Abstract

Engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) are a special class of ultra-ductile fiber-reinforced cementitious composites containing a significant amount of short discontinuous fibers. The distinctive tensile strain-hardening behavior of ECCs is the result of a systematic design based on the micromechanics of the fiber, matrix, and fiber–matrix interface. However, ECCs require extensive cement content, which is inconsistent with the goal of sustainable and green building materials. Consequently, the objective of this study is to investigate the mechanical performance of slag/fly-ash-based engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) reinforced with polyethylene (PE) fiber under axial compressive loading, as well as direct tensile and flexural strength tests. The composites’ microstructure and mineralogical composition were analyzed using images obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy diffraction spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The experimental results reveal that a slag-containing composite mixture shows strain-hardening behavior and comparable ductility properties to those of fly-ash-based composite mixtures. A ternary system of binder materials with 5% and 15% slag can increase the compressive strength of ECC by 3.5% and 34.9%, respectively, compared to slag-free ECC composite. Moreover, the microstructural results show that the slag-based cementitious matrix has a more closely cross-linked and dense microstructure at the matrix–aggregate interface. In addition, the concentration of particles on the surface of the fibers was higher in the slag-based cementitious composites than in the fly ash-based composite. This supports the concept that there is a stronger bonding between the fibers and matrix in the slag-based cementitious matrix than in fly-ash-based matrix. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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14 pages, 3292 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantification of the Influence of Concrete Width per Fiber Strand on the Splitting Crack Failure of Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC)

by Markus Beßling and Jeanette Orlowsky

Polymers 2022, 14(3), 489; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14030489 - 26 Jan 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2469

Abstract

The composite material textile reinforced concrete (TRC) requires a high bond performance between the fiber strand and the concrete matrix. While the influence of the textile on bond behavior is well known, in this publication the influence of the concrete matrix is investigated by means of single-sided pull-out tests. The results of the presented study show dependence between the concrete strength and bond performance of the composite material. When a concrete of a higher-strength class is used, the bond-flow–pull-out distance curve shifts upward independent of the textile geometry and the yarn impregnation. A simplified model is presented to predict the occurrence of a crack along the fiber strand. This model serves as a basis to investigate the correlation between concrete width per fiber strand and resistance against a splitting crack. The effective concrete tensile strength decreases to about 35% when the concrete width is increased from 10 mm to 50 mm. To quantify the decrease, a mathematical relationship, which describes the test results independent of textile and concrete type, is proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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24 pages, 4620 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Stirrups on Plate End Debonding in Reinforced Concrete Beams Strengthened with Fiber Reinforced Polymers

by Abdulaziz I. Al-Negheimish, Ahmed K. El-Sayed, Mohammed A. Al-Saawani and Abdulrahman M. Alhozaimy

Polymers 2021, 13(19), 3322; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13193322 - 28 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2299

Abstract

Plate end (PE) debonding is one of the critical debonding failure modes that may occur in reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with externally bonded fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs). This study investigated the effect of internal steel stirrups on the PE debonding failure load of FRP-strengthened RC beams. The dimensions of the beams were 3400 × 400 × 200 mm. The beams were strengthened with carbon FRP (CFRP) sheets bonded to the soffit of the beams. The beams were divided into two series based on the distance of the cutoff point of the CFRP sheets from the nearest support. This distance was 50 mm or 300 mm, and the amount of steel stirrups was varied in terms of varying the stirrup diameter and spacing. The beams were simply supported and tested under four-point bending. The test results indicate that the effect of stirrups on the load carrying capacity of the beams was more pronounced for the beams with CFRP sheets extended close to the supports. It was also indicated that beams with larger amounts of stirrups failed in PE debonding by concrete cover separation while beams with lower amounts of stirrups failed in PE by either PE interfacial debonding or critical diagonal crack-induced debonding. The beams were analyzed using several analytical models from design guidelines and the literature. The result of analysis indicates that most of the available models failed to reflect the effect of stirrups in predicting PE debonding failure load of the beams. On the other hand, the models of El-Sayed et al. and Teng and Yao were able to capture such an effect with the best predictions provided by El-Sayed et al. model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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15 pages, 6654 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cost and Effectiveness of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Solutions for the Large-Scale Mitigation of Seismic Risk in Reinforced Concrete Buildings

by Ciro Del Vecchio, Marco Di Ludovico and Andrea Prota

Polymers 2021, 13(17), 2962; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13172962 - 31 Aug 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3431

Abstract

Recent seismic events have demonstrated that the high vulnerability of existing reinforced concrete (RC) buildings is mainly due to a lack of proper seismic detailing and the employment of poor-quality concrete. The reconstruction process following the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake highlighted that strengthening these buildings using solutions based on fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) can be both efficient and cost-effective. Indeed, their light weight, ease of installation, and the availability of specific guidelines and standards strongly supported their use in design practices, where they were the strengthening technique employed the most. This paper analyses and discusses the data on the actual cost and effectiveness of FRP solutions for seismic strengthening of existing RC buildings. To this end, the large database relating to the L’Aquila reconstruction process was used to select 130 RC buildings strengthened with FRP systems or FRPs combined with other techniques. Details of direct costs, including at the member level, and the types and percentages of strengthened members are analysed for both local and global strategies. This study thus provides readers with valuable data for use in cost-benefit analyses of FRP systems schemes to mitigate seismic risk at large-scale. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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26 pages, 9347 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seismic Protection of RC Buildings by Polymeric Infill Wall-Frame Interface

by Ahmet Tugrul Akyildiz, Alicja Kowalska-Koczwara and Łukasz Hojdys

Polymers 2021, 13(10), 1577; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13101577 - 14 May 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3083

Abstract

This paper is aimed at investigating the usage of flexible joints in masonry infilled walls surrounded by reinforced concrete (RC) frames. For this purpose, a real-size specimen was numerically created and exposed to the seismic loads. In order to evaluate both in-plane and out-of-plane performances of the infill walls, the system was chosen as a box shaped three-dimensional structure. In total, three different one-story constructions, which have single bays in two perpendicular directions, were modeled. The first type is the bare-frame without the infill walls, which was determined as a reference system. The second and third types of buildings are conventional mortar joint and PolyUrethane Flexible Joint (PUFJ) implemented ones, respectively. The influence of these joints on the material level are investigated in detail. Furthermore, general building dynamic characteristics were extracted by means of acceleration and displacement results as well as frequency domain mode shapes. Analyses revealed that PUFJ implementation on such buildings has promising outcomes and helps to sustain structural stability against the detrimental effects of earthquakes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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22 pages, 6327 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Novel Bending Test Method for Polymer Railway Sleeper Materials

by Choman Salih, Allan Manalo, Wahid Ferdous, Rajab Abousnina, Peng Yu, Tom Heyer and Peter Schubel

Polymers 2021, 13(9), 1359; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13091359 - 21 Apr 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5817

Abstract

Alternative sleeper technologies have been developed to address the significant need for the replacement of deteriorating timber railway sleepers. The review of the literature indicates that the railway sleepers might fail while in service, despite passing the evaluation tests of the current composite sleeper standards which indicated that these tests do not represent in situ sleeper on ballast. In this research, a new five-point bending test is developed to evaluate the flexural behaviour of timber replacement sleeper technologies supported by ballast. Due to the simplicity, acceptance level of evaluation accuracy and the lack of in-service behaviour of alternative sleepers, this new testing method is justified with the bending behaviour according to the Beam on Elastic Foundation theory. Three timber replacement sleeper technologies—plastic, synthetic composites and low-profile prestressed concrete sleepers in addition to timber sleepers—were tested under service loading condition to evaluate the suitability of the new test method. To address the differences in the bending of the sleepers due to their different modulus of elasticities, the most appropriate material for the middle support was also determined. Analytical equations of the bending moments with and without middle support settlement were also developed. The results showed that the five-point static bending test could induce the positive and negative bending moments experienced by railway sleepers under a train wheel load. It was also found that with the proposed testing spans, steel-EPDM rubber is the most suitable configuration for low bending modulus sleepers such as plastic, steel-neoprene for medium modulus polymer sleepers and steel-steel for very high modulus sleepers such as concrete. Finally, the proposed bending moment equations can precisely predict the flexural behaviour of alternative sleepers under the five-point bending test. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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25 pages, 10533 KiB

Open AccessArticle

3D Finite Element Pseudodynamic Analysis of Deficient RC Rectangular Columns Confined with Fiber Reinforced Polymers under Axial Compression

by Theodora D. Fanaradelli and Theodoros C. Rousakis

Polymers 2020, 12(11), 2546; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12112546 - 30 Oct 2020

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 2935

Abstract

This paper utilizes the advanced potential of pseudodynamic three-dimensional finite-element modeling to study the axial mechanical behavior of square and rectangular reinforced concrete columns, confined with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) jackets and continuous composite ropes in seismic applications. The rigorous and versatile Riedel-Hiermaier-Thoma (RHT) material model for concrete is suitably calibrated/modified to reproduce the variable behavior of characteristic retrofitted columns with deficient internal steel reinforcement detailing, suffering nonuniform local concrete cracking and crushing or bulging and bar buckling. Similarly, the 3D FRP jacket or rope confinement models may account for damage distribution, local fracture initiation and different interfacial bonding conditions. The satisfactory accuracy of the reproduced experimental stress-strain envelope behavior enables the analytical investigation of several critical design parameters that are difficult to measure reliably during experiments. Additional parametric analyses are conducted to assess the effects of steel quality. The significant variation of the field of developed strains on the FRP jacket at the ultimate and of the developed strains and deformations on steel cages among different columns are thoroughly investigated. This advanced analytical insight may be directly utilized to address missing critical parameters and allow for more reliable FRP retrofit design of seismic resistant reinforced concrete (RC) columns. Further, it allows for arbitrary 3D seismic analysis of columns (loading, unloading, cyclic or loading rate effects or preloading) or addresses predamages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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