Hygrothermal effects on adhesively bonded CFRP-to-concrete systems

The use of fibre-reinforced polymer materials has been continuously increasing as an alternative to traditional materials, due to their superior durability (absence of corrosion), lightweight, low maintenance cost, and rapid installation. Adhesive bonding techniques for strengthening existing structures, such as near-surface mounted (NSM) and externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) are usually preferable. The long-term performance of these strengthening techniques under hygrothermal ageing conditions is still not clearly understood, limiting their use. This work aims to give new insights for reliable predictions of the long-term performance of these strengthening techniques, supported by advanced and innovative numerical modelling, properly calibrated with a refined experimental program that will be developed in this work. These outcomes will foster the use of NSM and EBR techniques as alternatives to the traditional ones, conducting more sustainable rehabilitation methods aiming at faster intervention speed, and reduction in energy, raw materials, and construction waste.

Faculty Supervisor:

Ahmed Koubaa

Student:

Partner:

University of Minho

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Program: