Seismic retrofitting of GFRP-reinforced concrete columns using precast UHPC plates

With the increasing utilization of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars in concrete structures, the issue of retrofitting damaged FRP-reinforced concrete (FRP-RC) structures will emerge. However, limited research is available on the seismic performance of damaged FRP-RC structures after retrofitting. In this study, cyclic tests were conducted to evaluate the efficiency of precast ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) plates in retrofitting the seismic performance of GFRP-RC columns with continuous or lap-spliced GFRP bars. Three GFRP-RC columns, among which one column with lap-spliced details was strengthened with precast UHPC plates, and the other two columns were retrofitted with precast UHPC plates combined with NSM after simulated seismic damage testing. To compare the retrofitting efficiency of this method for GFRP-RC and steel-RC columns, a previous study on steel-RC columns retrofitted with UHPC was incorporated. For the pre-damaged GFRP-RC columns after retrofitting with precast UHPC plates combined with NSM, the peak load experienced an increase of 76 %–79 %, and the ductility was complete restored. The failure modes of strengthened or retrofitted GFRP-RC columns differ from those of strengthened or retrofitted steel-RC columns. Further, the flexural strength of GFRP-RC columns and beams after being strengthened or retrofitted by UHPC can be predicted well based on the cross-section analysis model.