P-M INTERACTION DIAGRAMS FOR REINFORCED CONCRETE WALLS RETROFITTED WITH EXTERNALLY BONDED CARBON-FIBER REINFORCED POLYMER

This research develops analytical axial load-bending moment (P-M) interaction diagrams for reinforced concrete (RC) walls retrofitted with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). A 12-inch thick, 1-foot strip of RC wall section is considered with varying reinforcement ratios, varying axial compressive loading, and varying number of CFRP layers. The CFRP material is treated as externally bonded onto the tension face of the RC wall to investigate its impact on the flexural capacity of the section. Each P-M interaction diagram was generated considering a discretized compression zone and by satisfying principles of static equilibrium and strain compatibility. An elastic-plastic steel stress-strain relationship is used for Grade 60 reinforcement; a uniaxial nonlinear compressive stress-strain relationship is used for concrete; and a linear stress-strain relationship is used for CFRP in tension. The failure modes considered are steel yielding, concrete crushing, and CFRP debonding. The computed P-M interaction diagrams are normalized for their general use in the retrofit of existing RC walls using CFRP. Results show that as the axial compressive force on the RC wall increases, the less effective CFRP is. CFRP is more effective in sections with beam-like behavior, where the reinforcement ratio tends to be the smallest.