Comparative evaluation of flexural response and damage assessment of concrete columns confined with CFRP and self-prestressing iron-based SMA

Abstract

This paper experimentally compares the seismic retrofitting effects of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and iron-based shape memory alloy (Fe SMA) for RC columns. Four circular RC columns with insufficient transverse reinforcement were provided with different retrofitting schemes and tested under quasi-static lateral cyclic loading. All specimens confined with CFRP and Fe SMA exhibited satisfactory global responses in terms of lateral strengths and flexural ductility up to +/- 7 % drift ratios. From the visual and nondestructive damage evaluations, it was found that the Fe SMA confinement yielded lower damage accumulation in concrete, compared to the CFRP confinement, by virtue of the prestressing effect.