Title:
Bond Performance of Grouted Splice Sleeve Connections Using Cylindrical and Tapered FRP Sleeves (Prepublished)
Author(s):
Kiarash Koushfar, Ahmad Baharuddin Abd. Rahman, Seyed Jamal Aldin Hosseini, Hyeon-Jong Hwang, Sophia C Alih, Mohammadreza Vafaei, Seyed Kamaloddin Hosseini, Ali Kia, and Jae-Yo Kim
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
confinement effect, CFRP, GFRP, grouted splice, sleeve connector, tapered sleeve
DOI:
10.14359/51750585
Date:
3/13/2026
Abstract:
Although grouted splice sleeve connectors (GSSCs) are notably used in precast concrete structures, steel sleeves are heavy and have corrosion issues. The bond characteristics in GSSCs using cylindrical and tapered fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sleeves, lighter alternatives, were investigated in this study. A series of pull-out tests for 144 specimens was conducted to evaluate the effects of FRP type, number of layers, shape, and length on the bond characteristics in GSSCs. The test results showed that for FRP GSSCs, tapered FRP sleeves effectively developed confinement compared with cylindrical FRP sleeves, leading to better bond strength and shorter development length. A design equation was proposed for estimating the tensile strength of FRP-based GSSCs, which predicted the test results well. The tapered FRP sleeves reduced the development length compared with the FRP cylindrical sleeves, implying greater FRP GSSC efficiency in precast concrete structures, which provides engineers with valuable insights for efficient FRP splice-sleeve design in precast concrete structures.