Numerical investigations on the seismic performance of a R/C dual system repaired using carbon-fiber composites

This paper investigates the effectiveness of the use of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites for the seismic repair of reinforced concrete structures. Numerical analyses were carried out on a full-scale reinforced concrete dual system that was previously subjected to unidirectional pseudodynamic tests at the JRC ELSA Laboratory. The structure consisted of two parallel frames which included coupled walls. Detailed numerical models were developed in order to evaluate the seismic behaviour of the structure. The accuracy of the models was first assessed through comparison with experimental results obtained from pseudodynamic tests of the full-scale specimen. Fair agreement between the experimental and numerical results was obtained in terms of global and local response. The modeling issues of the CFRP repair and the outcomes of the numerical analyses were presented. Comparisons between original and repaired structures were discussed in terms of global and local performance and the effects of the CFRP repair on the seismic response of the reinforced concrete structure was evaluated.