Confined ultrahigh-performance fibre-reinforced concrete in retrofitted beam–column joint: experimental study

The beam–column joint (BCJ) is a critical region in a framed structure because during such events as earthquakes it is susceptible to earlier failure than adjacent members, leading to shear failure, and will endanger building users if not designed properly. BCJs designed using preseismic code provisions follow the non-ductile approach and might not resist postelastic rotation without enduring greater damage. Retrofitting techniques offer great opportunities for strengthening damaged BCJs. In this study, the effectiveness of a novel retrofitting scheme based on carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) confined ultrahigh-performance fibre-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) in rehabilitating initially damaged BCJ specimens was assessed. Three retrofitting schemes using UHPFRC with and without confinement are proposed: (1) in situ casting of 25 mm thick UHPFRC jackets; (2) in situ casting of steel wire mesh-confined UHPFRC and (3) in situ casting of CFRP-confined UHPFRC. The confining action was achieved by sandwiching wire or CFRP mesh between two layers of UHPFRC. The results of this study indicate that BCJ specimens retrofitted with confined UHPFRC had improved overall seismic response, compared with specimens retrofitted only with UHPFRC. Further, the wire mesh-based retrofitting scheme proved to be more efficient than the CFRP mesh-based scheme.