Development of a Quality Control Test for Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Anchors

The use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials to strengthen concrete structures has increased in recent years. In most strengthening applications, CFRP laminates are bonded to concrete members with adhesives. Studies showed that the CFRP laminate debonded from the concrete surface, causing failures when the laminate reached only 40-50% of its capacity. CFRP anchors have been developed to overcome debonding problems. While the benefits of using CFRP anchors were demonstrated, little information regarding the quality control of CFRP anchor systems has been reported in the literature. For the research program presented in this thesis, 18 specimens were tested in order to:

• Assess the importance of a quality control process for CFRP anchors,
• Investigate factors that influence the anchor performance, and
• Find a simple way to maintain quality.

The research program demonstrated that quality control is critical to maintaining reliability of CFRP anchor systems. Bend radius was shown to have significant influence on the anchor capacity. Two types of specimens were tested and compared to investigate their applicability as a quality control test. Finally, a quality control procedure for CFRP anchors was recommended.