Effect of Sleeve Material on Interfacial Contact Behavior of CFRP-Metal Couples

Abstract

A study was carried out on the contact pressure and shear stress at the interface of a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) rod in contact with aluminum alloy or copper sleeves of different hardness. The main objective was to investigate the effect of the sleeve material on the interfacial sliding behavior under high contact pressures required for the design of wedge anchor systems to grip CFRP rods in prestressed concrete applications. The shear stress increased with the contact pressure; aluminum alloy sleeves generated higher shear stresses than copper sleeves. For both sleeve materials, higher shear stresses resulted from softening sleeves, an effect attributed to the lower yield stress facilitating metal flow, which resulted in a larger contact area between the sleeve and the CFRP rod.