Reinforced Concrete

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Ductilidade e resistência no reforço de pilares de betão armado sem aumento de secção, Chastre, Carlos , Construção Magazine, Março/Abril de 2, Volume 84, Number Março/Abril, p.48-49, (2018) AbstractWebsite

O aumento da resistência e/ou da ductilidade é um objetivo primordial quando se procede ao reforço de pilares. Um método bastante eficaz de aumentar a ductilidade, particularmente em regiões sísmicas, é através do encamisamento com coletes de FRP, uma vez que esta técnica permite uma diminuição da deformação transversal do pilar e a limitação da encurvadura das armaduras longitudinais, aumentando consequentemente a ductilidade do mesmo. Diversos ensaios experimentais permitiram detetar que os incrementos são maiores em secções circulares do que em secções quadradas ou retangulares [1, 2]. A atenuação deste efeito é obtida através do arredondamento dos cantos nos pilares de secção retangular. Contudo, o encamisamento com coletes de FRP, por si só, não aumenta significativamente a resistência do pilar à flexão composta. Para que isso aconteça e se mantenha um nível elevado de ductilidade, é necessário adicionar armaduras longitudinais à armadura do pilar e posteriormente proceder ao encamisamento com colete de FRP. Uma forma muito eficiente de o conseguir, mantendo a seção transversal do pilar, é utilizando o sistema CREatE (Continuous Reinforcement Embedded at Ends) desenvolvido na Universidade NOVA e já anteriormente apresentado nesta coluna, na edição de Junho/Agosto de 2017 [3], para o caso do reforço de vigas. O sistema CREatE foi idealizado para ser utilizado com diversos materiais e diferentes elementos estruturais [4-7], em que é necessário aumentar a sua capacidade resistente através de armaduras pós-instaladas, caracterizando-se pela utilização de armaduras contínuas embutidas nas extremidades do elemento estrutural sem o uso de dispositivos mecânicos para as fixar. Antes da ancoragem da armadura de reforço no interior do elemento, é necessário utilizar uma curva de transição suave para alterar a forma da armadura de reforço e evitar a ocorrência de concentrações de tensões na armadura ou na interface [4, 7, 8]. Este conceito foi aplicado no reforço de pilares realizado no âmbito da tese de doutoramento de Faustino Marques [9].Na Figura 1 é possível observar dois pilares de seção retangular (20x40cm2) encamisados com coletes de 3 camadas de CFRP (200gr/m2) em que foi utilizado o sistema CREatE com armaduras pós-instaladas de aço inox (2x20x5mm2) ou de laminados de CFRP (2x(10+20)×1.4 mm2/face) para reforço longitudinal [7, 8]. Na Figura 2 pode observar-se os resultados dos ensaios experimentais de um conjunto de pilares de seção retangulares sujeitos a esforço axial e a ações horizontais cíclicas. O pilar P11 é o de referência pois, não foi reforçado, enquanto os pilares P12, P15 e P16 foram encamisados com coletes de 3 camadas de CFRP e nos pilares P15 e P16 foi utilizado adicionalmente o sistema CREatE com armaduras pós-instaladas de aço inox (P15) ou de laminados de CFRP (P16) para reforço longitudinal [7]. Na Figura 3 mostra-se a envolvente dos diagramas Força-Deslocamento dos ensaios dos diferentes pilares de seção retangular (P11; P12; P15 e P16), sendo possível de constatar um excelente desempenho não só em termos de ductilidade (incremento de 67%) como de resistência (incrementos entre 29% e 43%, para drifts entre 2 e 4%) dos pilares reforçados com o sistema CREatE relativamente ao pilar de referência não reforçado.

Reforço de vigas em betão armado com armaduras exteriores de FRP, Monteiro, António, Chastre Carlos, Biscaia Hugo, and Franco Noel , Revista Internacional TechITT, Jan. 2017, Volume 15, Number 40, p.48-60, (2017) AbstractWebsite

A utilização de Polímeros Reforçados com Fibras (FRP) no reforço de estruturas de Betão Armado (BA) tem tido cada vez mais aceitação devido à sua elevada resistência e rigidez, baixo peso específico e excelente resistência aos efeitos dos agentes ambientais. No entanto, actualmente, é comum utilizarem-se técnicas de reforço que dificilmente permitem tirar partido da resistência total destes materiais. Com o objectivo de explorar a capacidade total de Polímeros Reforçados com Fibras de Carbono (CFRP), foram estudadas e desenvolvidas duas novas técnicas de reforço de vigas à flexão designadas por Continuous Reinforcement Embedded at Ends (CREatE) e Horizontal Near Surface Mounted Reinforcement (HNSMR). Posteriormente realizou-se um estudo comparativo entre o desempenho destes sistemas de reforço e o de duas outras técnicas já estudadas e usuais, nomeadamente os sistemas Externally Bonded Reinforcement (EBR) e Near Surface Mounted Reinforcement (NSMR). A técnica CREatE provou ser a mais eficaz de todas as alternativas testadas mobilizando a totalidade do compósito de CFRP e dotando as vigas de BA com uma maior capacidade resistente e com uma ductilidade mais elevada.Como complemento deste trabalho experimental, desenvolveu-se também um programa de cálculo em MATLAB, capaz de simular o problema em estudo através de um modelo numérico de análise não linear através do equilíbrio de secções. A representatividade dos dados obtidos foi verificada através de uma análise comparativa entre os valores numéricos e os obtidos experimentalmente.The use of Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) in order to strengthen Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures has been increasingly accepted due to their strength and stiffness, low weight and excellent resistance to the effects of environmental aggressive agents. However, the bonding techniques available and described in the literature can not allow the full use of the mechanical properties of these materials and premature failures are often observed and described by several researchers. In order to explore the full capacity of CFRP composites, two new bonding strengthening techniques of RC beams when subjected to 4-point bending tests were studied and developed. For these new techniques, the designation of Continuous Reinforcement Embedded at Ends (CREatE) and Horizontal Near Surface Mounted Reinforcement (HNSMR) has been assigned. Posteriorly, a comparative study has been carried out between those strengthening systems performance and two traditional techniques, namely, the Externally Bonded Reinforcement (EBR) and Near Surface Mounted Reinforcement (NSMR). The CREatE technique has proved to be the most effective of all alternatives tested, with the full utilization of the CFRP composite and the highest strength, combined with the highest ductility. A code using MATLAB software was developed as a complement of this experimental work, which is able to simulate the problem under study through a nonlinear numerical model based on the equilibrium of sections. The representativeness of the numerical data has been verified afterwards through a comparative analysis between those and the experimental results.

Assessing the behaviour of RC beams subject to significant gravity loads under cyclic loads, Gião, Rita, Lúcio Válter, and Chastre Carlos , Engineering Structures, 2//, Volume 59, Number 2, p.512-521, (2014) AbstractWebsite

Gravity loads can affect a reinforced concrete structure’s response to seismic actions, however, traditional procedures for testing the beam behaviour do not take this effect into consideration. An experimental campaign was carried out in order to assess the influence of the gravity load on RC beam connection to the column subjected to cyclic loading. The experiments included the imposition of a conventional quasi-static test protocol based on the imposition of a reverse cyclic displacement history and of an alternative cyclic test procedure starting from the gravity load effects. The test results are presented, compared and analysed in this paper. The imposition of a cyclic test procedure that included the gravity loads effects on the RC beam ends reproduces the demands on the beams’ critical zones more realistically than the traditional procedure. The consideration of the vertical load effects in the test procedure led to an accumulation of negative (hogging) deformation. This phenomenon is sustained with the behaviour of a portal frame system under cyclic loads subject to a significant level of the vertical load, leading to the formation of unidirectional plastic hinges. In addition, the hysteretic behaviour of the RC beam ends tested was simulated numerically using the nonlinear structural analysis software – OpenSees. The beam–column model simulates the global element behaviour very well, as there is a reasonable approximation to the hysteretic loops obtained experimentally.

Monotonic axial behavior and modelling of RC circular columns confined with CFRP, Chastre, Carlos, and Silva Manuel A. G. , Engineering Structures, Aug, Volume 32, Number 8, p.2268-2277, (2010) AbstractWebsite

The retrofit of reinforced concrete columns with FRP jackets has received considerable attention in recent years. The advantages of this technique compared to other similar techniques include the high strength-weight and stiffness-weight ratios of FRP (Fibre Reinforced Plastics), the strength and ductility increase of RC columns confined with FRP jackets as well as the fact that FRP external shells prevent or mitigate environmental degradation of the concrete and consequent corrosion of the steel reinforcement. Furthermore, this method also reduces the column transversal deformation and prevents the buckling of longitudinal reinforcement. Twenty five experimental tests were carried out on reinforced concrete columns confined with CFRP composites, and subjected to axial monotonic compression. In order to evaluate the influence of several parameters on the mechanical behavior of the columns, the height of the columns was maintained, while changing other parameters: the diameter of the columns, the type of material (plain or reinforced concrete), the steel hoop spacing of the RC columns and the number of CFRP layers. Predictive equations, based on the experimental analysis, are proposed to estimate the compressive strength of the confined concrete, the maximum axial load and the axial or the lateral failure strain of circular RC columns jacketed with CFRP. A stress-strain model for CFRP confined concrete in compression, which considers the effect of the CFRP and the transversal reinforcement on the confined compressive strength of the column is also proposed. The curves, axial load versus axial or lateral strain of the RC column, are simulated based on the stress-strain model and include the longitudinal reinforcement effect. The results demonstrate that the model and the predictive equations represent very well the axial compression behavior of RC circular columns confined with CFRP. The applicability of this model to a large spectrum of RC column dimensions is its main advantage.

Comportamento às acções cíclicas de pilares de betão armado reforçados com materiais compósitos, Chastre Rodrigues, C. , Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, (2005) Abstract

This thesis deals with the analysis of the behaviour of retrofitting reinforced concrete circular columns with FRP materials which were subjected either to axial cyclic compression or axial compression and alternated cyclic horizontal loads. The choice of this topic derived from the need to investigate the behaviour of the strengthening of reinforced concrete columns to seismic actions, especially with new materials such as carbon and glass fibres or polymeric mortars. Another reason for such choice is linked to the strong seismicity of the Portuguese territory.
It has been verified that confined concrete columns with FRP jackets have their resistance and ductility highly increased as these considerably reduce the columns transversal deformation, thus preventing the buckling of longitudinal reinforcement. There has been an increasing use of FRP composites in the strengthening of structures, mainly with GFRP (Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastics) or CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics). This is due to their attractive characteristics such as high resistance to corrosion, lowratio for weight/strength, moldability, easy application and the fact that there is no need of support structures.
Forty-five experimental tests were carried out, dealing with retrofitting reinforced concrete columns with axial monotonic or cyclic compression reinforced with FRP composites. The column height of 750 mm was maintained in order to evaluate the influence of several parameters in its behaviour: the column geometry (change in its diameter), the type of column (plain or reinforced concrete), transversal reinforcement ratio of concrete columns, the type of external confinement with FRP (C or GFRP), the number of FRP layers and the type of axial loading (monotonic or cyclic).
Twelve additional experimental tests were conducted in order to analyse the behaviour of reinforced concrete columns jacketed with FRP composites and subjected to axial cyclic compression and alternated cyclic horizontal loads. The columns’ dimension was maintained (1500 mm height by 250 mm diameter) and the models were subjected to a series of cyclic and alternated loadings. This enabled the study of the various parameters’ influence in their behaviour such as the type of FRP confinement, the number of FRP layers, the level of axial loading, the jacket’s height or the strengthening of the plastic hinge by replacing the cover concrete with polymeric mortar.
Based on the numerical models presented and experimental analysis carried out, models were proposed and developed to simulate the behaviour of columns jacketed with FRP composites.