Year

2018

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

School of Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering

Abstract

Hollow core concrete columns have been widely used when low weight and low cost design is required as a result of reducing the amount of concrete in the structural members. Also, using Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) materials in concrete retrofitting or new concrete constructions is preferred to steel because of its lower self-weight and higher corrosion resistance than steel. Existing studies have shown that the use of an internal tube can significantly enhance the effectiveness of confinement in FRP-confined hollow columns. The internal tube used in the existing studies, however, generally had a large stiffness and also served as longitudinal reinforcement, such as steel or FRP tubes. The use of a stiff internal tube is inefficient in resisting bending for hollow columns with a relatively small void, and may be unnecessary for constraining the inner surface of concrete. Against this background, this study presents a new type of FRP-confined hollow columns with an internal PVC tube. In such cases, the main function of the internal PVC tube is to restrain the inner surface of concrete for effective confinement. The permanent internal PVC tube has also many other advantages in construction industry such as; low cost, excellent durability, long life expectancy, ease of fabrication and handling. The main disadvantage is the low fire resistance of the PVC material, however when the PVC is used as an internal tube in a hollow concrete section, it would be protected by a thick layer of concrete.

Share

COinS
 

Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.