Anchorage of Surface Mounted FRP Reinforcement

Abstract

This paper presents a novel anchor system called U-anchor that can be used to significantly improve the performance of surface mounted reinforcement for concrete/masonry made of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. In applications where bond and/or development length of FRP are critical, the U-anchor prevents debonding of the reinforcement. The anchor is based on the idea of embedding a bent portion of the end (or near the end) of the FRP reinforcement into a preformed groove in the concrete/masonry. The groove is filled with a viscous paste and may or may not include an FRP bar. The U-anchor is compatible with any external FRP strengthening system and avoids high stress concentration and durability concerns. It can be used with sheets and pre-cured laminates that are unbonded or fully bonded to concrete. Laboratory testing confirms the excellent performance of the U-anchor system.