Externally bonded fiber reinforced polymer (EBFRP) composites can be used to seismically retrofit structures in a simple and economical manner. However, lack of documented evidence of their performance during an earthquake still limits their widespread adoption. This Grant for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) will study the effects of the November 30, 2018, earthquake (magnitude 7.0) in Anchorage, Alaska, on the performance of EBFRP composite retrofits in reinforced concrete buildings. The 2018 earthquake, which impacted the same region that was severely damaged by the 1964 Great Alaskan earthquake (magnitude 9.2) ground shaking, provides an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of EBFRP retrofits in a high-intensity earthquake and learn about their performance. This study will, for the first time, provide information on the performance of EBFRP retrofitted structures in an earthquake that occurred in the United States. The collected data will contribute to improved building retrofit design standards and construction practices, which will cultivate safe buildings and communities resilient to earthquakes, thus promoting national welfare. The findings will benefit practitioners and researchers by providing a unique data set to benchmark the numerical models used to simulate the response of retrofitted structures. The data will be archived and disseminated through the NSF-supported Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) Data Depot and Reconnaissance Integration Portal (www.DesignSafe-ci.org). The graduate student participating in the project will gain valuable research raining in field data collection and post-earthquake reconnaissance. This award supports the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.
The main objective of this grant is to collect perishable data on EBFRP response during the 2018 Alaskan earthquake to improve understanding of the performance of EBFRP-retrofitted structures. The data collection activities in Anchorage, Alaska, coordinated with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will include the following: (1) a survey to identify reinforced concrete structures that are retrofitted with EBFRP, (2) photographic documentation of damage to EBFRP retrofit systems (e.g., delamination, rupture, and environmental degradation), and (3) identification of in-situ characteristics of the EBFRP utilizing non-destructive (e.g., acoustic sounding and infrared thermography) and semi-destructive (e.g., bond pull-off test) methods. Where permissible, small samples of EBFRP will be collected for chemical and thermal analysis to determine the extent of environmental degradation in EBFRP.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
