Behaviour of Reinforced Concrete Columns Strengthened by Reactive Powder Concrete Jacket and Fibre Reinforced Polymer Wrapping

Jacketing is one of the most effective strengthening techniques for reinforced concrete (RC) columns. Jacketing is usually performed by adding a shell of traditional RC, steel or fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) around the existing RC column. Even though jacketing with traditional RC, steel and FRP are widely used, these jacketing techniques have serious disadvantages, which are mainly associated with durability, structural efficiency and practical application. Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is a distinctive category of concrete, which has high strength and durability and possesses outstanding repairing and strengthening characteristics. The main aim of this study is to investigate the behaviour of RC columns strengthened by a new strengthening technique consisting of jacketing with RPC and wrapping with FRP. This thesis is presented as a thesis by publication. First, an experimental pilot study to investigate the mechanical properties of steel, glass and steel-glass fibre reinforced RPC is presented. The results of the study showed that steel fibre reinforced RPC had a higher compressive strength, indirect tensile strength and shear strength than the non-fibrous RPC, glass fibre reinforced RPC and hybrid steel-glass fibre reinforced RPC. The steel fibre reinforced RPC was found to be the most efficient type of RPC to be used as a jacketing material for RC columns from a structural perspective. However, the glass fibre reinforced RPC and hybrid steel-glass fibre reinforced RPC had significantly higher shear strength than the non-fibrous RPC and were proposed to be used as alternatives for the steel fibre reinforced RPC in the corrosive environments...