Bond behavior in fiber reinforced polymer composites and fiber reinforced cementitious matrix composites

The use of fiber reinforced composites for strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) structures has gained great popularity in the last few decades. Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites represent an effective solution for strengthening existing reinforced concrete structures due to their mechanical properties and relatively low cost. FRP composites have been extensively studied, and design codes/recommendation/guidelines are available. One of the most important concerns regarding the use of FRP for strengthening RC structures is the proper design to preclude debonding failure. The bond behavior of FRP-concrete joints is studied in this thesis by means of a fracture mechanics approach, assuming that the debonding is characterized by a pure Mode II failure. The most important analytical formulations for the evaluation of the bond strength of FRP-concrete joints are analyzed and discussed. The accuracy of each analytical model studied is assessed through the use of a wide experimental database including different test set-ups and composite materials. Furthermore, the accuracy of several analytical models for the evaluation of the effective bond length, i.e. the minimum length needed to fully develop the bond strength of the FRP-concrete joint, is assessed. A promising alternative to FRP composites is fiber reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composites. FRCM composites are comprised of high strength fibers applied to the concrete substrate through the use of inorganic cementitious matrix. FRCM composites are still in their infancy, and very limited work is available in the literature. In the second part of this thesis, an extensive experimental campaign conducted on PBO FRCM-concrete joints is presented and discussed. Since the weakness of FRCM-concrete joints is located at the matrix-fiber interface, the study of the stress-transfer mechanism between the fibers and the matrix is of particular importance. Specimens with different bonded lengths and bonded widths are presented. The fracture mechanics approach used to study the FRP-concrete joints is extended to the study of FRCM-concrete joints, and the exsistence of an effective bond length similar to that observed for FRP-concrete joints is investigated. The results obtained through the fracture mechanics approach are used for the implementation of numerical models to investigate the fiber-matrix interface bond behavior for FRCM-concrete joints that include more than one layer of matrix.