Development of Efficient Anchorage Systems for Flexural Strengthening of Concrete Bridge Planks using FRP Materials

A widely-used method for flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) structures is the use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials as externally-bonded reinforcement. FRP materials have several advantages over traditional materials in terms of their tensile strength, low cost, durability and ease of application. However, a commonly documented failure mode of externally-bonded systems is premature FRP debonding. The aim of this study is to present a new FRP patch anchorage system, which can be used to mitigate the commonly-observed failure modes of intermediate crack-induced (IC) debonding. Although patch anchors have shown their effectiveness in suppressing FRP debonding when used in shear strengthening applications, this study explores their effectiveness in flexural strengthening. An experimental program is presented where this anchorage type is trialed, and its effectiveness is discussed