Performance of CFRP wrapped square reinforced concrete columns subjected to eccentric loading

Strengthening concrete columns with fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) has been studied extensively, but the majority of published studies have focused on circular columns. Most concrete columns in the field have square or rectangular cross sections and resist eccentric loading as well. The objective of this study is to investigate the performance of square reinforced concrete (RC) columns wrapped with carbon FRP subjected to eccentric loading. The influence of two parameters was studied including the number of FRP layers and the magnitude of eccentricity. Compression testing was conducted on twelve short square RC columns wrapped with CFRP composites. The columns had a dimension of 200 mm x 200 mm x 800 mm and a round corner with a radius of 34 mm. The results of the study demonstrated that wrapping the square RC columns under eccentric loading with CFRP enhanced their performance by providing higher load carrying capacity and ductility compared to unwrapped RC columns.