STRENGTHENING OF REINFORCED CONCRETE COLUMN BY GLASS FIBER REINFORCED POLYMER JACKETING TECHNIQUE

Reinforced Concrete (RC) columns of existing structures often becomes vulnerable to the existing loads and starts displaying early failures symptoms. The Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) externally bonded jacketing is a well-known and a valid technique to improve the axial load carrying capacity of the existing columns. This study intends to investigate the performance of reinforced concrete column jacketed with GFRP wrap under axial loading condition. Finite element model of reinforced concrete column of square cross-section with glass fibre reinforced polymer jacket is in ABAQUS. The simulation has been done with appropriate contact modelling to determine the improvement in strength of column by confinement due to GFRP wrap. Effect of providing corner radii in place of sharp corner in GFRP jacketed concrete column on axial strength is analysed. The results from finite element model simulation is compared with the values determined mathematically which are in good agreement in terms of improvement in strength. Axial load carrying capacity of column has been enhanced by GFRP jacketing in both cases i.e., column with sharp corner and column with rounded corner. However, the enhancement with GFRP jacketing on columns with rounded corners was more significant.