Bond Length of CFRP Composites Attached to Precast Concrete Walls

Abstract

Carbon fiber composite connections for hollow-core precast concrete wall panels have been investigated with respect to bond behavior. A panel assembly made up of three precast concrete walls was loaded in the in-plane direction using a cyclic quasi-static load, which was transferred to the wall interface as a shear force. The application of the carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite was varied in the covered area, number and orientation of plies, and the concrete surface preparation. An expression, which compares well with the experimental findings, is presented for the effective bond length of carbon fiber composite sheets. The effective bond length of the connection depends on the peel-off shear strength of the concrete, the maximum tensile strain in the composite, the modulus of elasticity of the composite, and thickness of the composite plate.