Strengthening of Corroded Hollow Structural Steel Tubular Members Using Fibre Reinforced Polymer Fabrics: An Experimental Investigation

The main objective of this investigation is to experimentally investigate the suitability of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) in strengthening artificially degraded hollow structural steel (HSS) tubular members. In order to obtain uniform corrosion, all the tubular columns were artificially degraded by heavier solution mechanism. CFRP fabrics were used as strips form with other parameters such as the number of layers and spacing of strips. Experiments were undertaken until failure to fully understand the influence of FRP characteristics on the compressive behavior of strengthened hollow tubular columns. The experimental results revealed that the external bonding of normal modulus CFRP strips significantly enhanced the load carrying capacity and stiffness of the HSS tubular sections and also delays the axial shortening of column by providing confinement/restraining effect against the elastic deformation. And also, increase in thickness of CFRP strips effectively delays the local buckling of HSS column and lead to the inward buckling rather than outward.