This award supports a cooperative research between Dr. Azadeh Parvin, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, and Dr. Cem Yalcin, Department of Civil Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey. The focus of the research is seismic retrofitting of reinforced concrete structural members by composite materials. The project will comprise full-scale experimentation on reinforced concrete beam-column joints retrofitted with composite wraps under simulated seismic loadings as well as a comprehensive analytical study using finite element method. Failure of reinforced concrete beam-column connections will result in the collapse of the structure during destructive earthquakes. The safety of structural systems relies on the behavior of these connections. One way of retrofitting structures is to wrap the beam-column connections with few thin layers of fiber composite fabrics to enhance their load carrying capacity and ductility, with minimum disruption to their usage during the rehabilitation procedure. Studies in this are have concentrated on scale-down models, which may not the behavior of size structural members under seismic loads. Experiments on full-scale specimens are essential to validate theoretical predictions and empirical findings through small-scale testing. This requires resources, which are available at Bogazici University, and can be realized at a fraction of the cost of performing the same tests in the United States. Dr. Parvin has experience in wrapping techniques on beam-column joints through involvement in numerical and small-scale experimental analyses. The main construction technology in Turkey utilizes reinforced concrete for a wide spectrum of structures and as such a wealth of knowledge and experience, which is readily available to researchers. This project will benefit from complementary expertise possessed by the US and Turkish investigators and substantial domain knowledge on reinforced concrete structures in Turkish construction industry and academia.
Scope: Findings of the study will constitute valuable knowledge base currently nonexistent to a large degree on the behavior of these joints, which will benefit both countries in terms of saving lives and economics. The research will offer an attractive repair and retrofit solution for buildings and infrastructure components using modern fiber composite materials. Such materials have unique properties in terms of strength, resistance to corrosion, lightness, and ease of application while enhancing the performance of structural components. Reinforced concrete constitutes a fundamental construction technology for a wide spectrum of structures not only in US and Turkey, but also around the globe. The project activities involve a female US investigator, and will provide graduate students from the University of Toledo an opportunity for international research experience. It will provide a scientist and graduate student from Turkey an opportunity to use the state-of-the-art wrapping techniques to a critical structural component, the beam-column connection. Results of the project will be published in journals and conference proceedings and will be incorporated in a graduate course offered by the PI. At the completion of the project lecture series on retrofitting reinforced concrete structural members will be offered by the collaborators.
