Title: Fracture Energy of GFRP-Concrete Bonded Interface after Sustained Loading in Natural Environments

Author(s): Jaeha Lee, Kivanc Artun, Charles E. Bakis, Maria M. Lopez and Thomas E. Boothby

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 360

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 96-105

Keywords: Mode II Fracture energy, 3-point bending test, Natural environments, Debonding, GFRP-Concrete interface

DOI: 10.14359/51740619

Date: 3/1/2024

Abstract:
Small-scale plain concrete precracked beams strengthened with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) sheets underwent testing in 3-point flexure to assess variations in the FRP-concrete Mode II interfacial fracture energy after 6 and 13 years of sustained loading in indoor and outdoor environments. The Mode II fracture energy of the interfacial region, GF, was determined by analyzing strain profiles along the length of the FRP sheet, which were obtained using digital image correlation and photoelastic techniques. In the experiments conducted after conditioning, higher GF values were observed as the debonded zone progressed from the region of sustained shear stress transfer to the unstressed section of the interfacial region, particularly in beams subjected to outdoor conditioning. In the interfacial region near the notch, GFRP beams showed reductions in GF in both indoor and outdoor environments. For outdoor beams with GFRP sheets, there was no additional degradation in GF when the FRP was exposed to direct sunlight, in comparison to beams with the FRP exposed to indirect sunlight.