Anchorage systems in concrete structures strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites

The development of fiber composite materials and their application to structural elements as externally bonded reinforcement is an effective means to increase the strength of existing bridges and buildings. However, the technique is limited by premature debonding of the composite materials from the concrete substrates which typically results in higher material quantities required to reach a given level of strengthening. As a means of addressing this issue, this dissertation examines the use of innovative anchorage systems to improve the bond performance between carbon fibers and structural elements. An efficient bidirectional fiber patch anchor was developed using experimental and numerical techniques, the results of which were applied to the Westgate Bridge Strengthening project.