Post-strengthening of

RC Structures with
Externally Bonded
Prestressed CFRP Strips
Hans-Peter ANDR
Leonhardt, Andr & Partner
Consulting Engineers
Stuttgart, Germany
Markus MAIER
Leonhardt, Andr & Partner
Consulting Engineers
Stuttgart, Germany
Paper presented at the 16
th
Congress of IABSE
September 18-21, Luzern, Switzerland
2000 by Leonhardt, Andr & Partners, Consulting Engineers, Germany Taiwan
page 1 of 8
Post-strengthening of RC Structures with
Externally Bonded Prestressed CFRP Strips
Dr.-Ing.
Hans-Peter ANDR
Managing Director
Leonhardt, Andr & Partner
Consulting Engineers VBI
Stuttgart, Germany
Dipl.-Ing.
Markus MAIER
Project Engineer
Leonhardt, Andr & Partner
1972 Diplom Ingenieur
University of Stuttgart, Germany
1977 Master of Science
University of Calgary, Canada
1979 Project Engineer
Leonhardt, Andr und Partner
1982 Dr.-Ing
University of Stuttgart, Germany
Since 1988 Managing Director and Partner
Leonhardt, Andr & Partner
Since 1989 Control Engineer
Ministry of the Interior, Germany
Summary
A new prestressing and anchorage system for post-tensioned, externally bonded CFRP strips
which is suitable for on-site application has been developed by Leonhardt, Andr & Partner.
This system provides a maximum prestress of about 1000 N/mm (at a strain of 5.5
0
/
00
) to
each laminate and can be directly anchored on the surface of the member to be strengthened.
The system was tested at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Testing and Research
(EMPA) in Zrich.
This paper describes the first on-site application anywhere in the world, carried out
successfully at a prestressed concrete bridge in southern Germany in October 1998, as well as
a second application carried out to post-strengthen an existing r/c shear wall in July 1999.
In addition, the features of the stressing system, the results of the large-scale EMPA-test, the
final on-site application and the problems which had to be faced as well as new experiences
gained with prestressed CFRP strips will be presented and illustrated in this paper.
Keywords : Prestressed Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Laminates, Externally
Bonded CFRP Surface Tendon, Post-tensioning System, On-Site Application,
Anchorage Shear Stress
1. Introduction
Externally bonded carbon fibre reinforced polymer laminates are particularly suitable for
in-situ rehabilitation, post-strengthening and structural repair of reinforced/prestressed
concrete structures.
The advantages of CFRP strips for external adhesive reinforcement can be summarised as
follows:
Available in any length
Corrosion resistant
Very high tensile strength
Extremely low weight
Low installation costs
Easy to join
Flexible (the minimum radius at which the strips can be transported in coiled form is
0.90m)
2000 by Leonhardt, Andr & Partners, Consulting Engineers, Germany Taiwan
page 2 of 8
The flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete using externally bonded Sika CarboDur
CFRP strips has been authorised by the German Institute of Construction Technology since
1997. Design regulations and guidelines for strengthening with Sika CarboDur have been
defined and the use of CFRP strips which are unstressed at the time of bonding is already
common in practical structural design.
As the CFRP possesses no yielding deformation reserves (figure 1), the maximum bending
strength of a strengthened section is obtained if the CFRP plate ruptures once the internal steel
reinforcement has reached its yield limit, but prior to concrete fracture. Various tests showed
that the bending post-strengthened cross-section (with full composite action) cannot follow an
unlimited laminate strain, that means Bernoullis hypothesis can no longer be assumed for
strains in the upper range. Delamination and debonding effects occur.
Figure 1 shows the linear elastic stress-strain relationship of a Sika CarboDur CFRP strip
For this reason, the strain which can be used in the design of non- prestressed CFRP strips is
limited to 0.8%, i.e. only 50% of the ultimate strain capacity. In order to also make use of the
upper range of the CFRP strain capacity, the strip has to be prestrained or prestressed right
before the bonding action. In that way it is possible to make maximum use of the full load
bearing capacity of this high-tensile material.
For this reason, a post-tensioning system suitable for on-site application was developed by
Leonhardt, Andr & Partner and the first practical on-site application anywhere in the world
was carried out successfully.
2. Prestressed Externally Bonded CFRP Laminates
2.1 Advantages of Prestressed CFRP Strips
The advantages of using prestressed CFRP strips as externally bonded surface tendons can be
summarised as follows:
The upper range of the strain and stress capacity can be used
Strains on the internal reinforcement can be relieved
The strips participate in carrying dead load and permanent loads at the time of bonding
The strips participate in bearing the load of additional loadings without any slip-delay
At low temperatures (member-shrinkage) the CFRP strip still remains a tension element
Cracked sections can be stressed/compressed back to the uncracked state, thus gaining in
stiffness
Crack widths and bending deflection can be reduced, thus improving serviceability
0,5 % 1,0 % 1,5% 1,6%
3000
f strip /mm
2000
1000
Linear elastic stress strain relationship

=
1
7
0
.0
0
0

/
m
m

2800
Posttensioning Loading
2000 by Leonhardt, Andr & Partners, Consulting Engineers, Germany Taiwan
page 3 of 8
2.2 Post-tensioning system for on-site applications
Already in 1993, Deuring [1] succeeded in prestressing CFRP strips at EMPA laboratories in
Zrich, Switzerland. However, this tensioning system is not suitable for on-site application.
The system is based on the principle of a stationary violin bow, the tensioned string being
the CFRP strip and the bow the necessary complementary compression element. This method
provides for the member to be strengthened to be placed onto the ready-stressed CFRP strip.
However, once the violin bows ends were cut off, the laminate started peeling off the
members surface, starting at the end of the strips and resulting in the concrete cover being
ripped off, as the concretes tensile strength was exceeded due to an excessive anchorage
bonding shear stress.
Figure 2 in principle shows the difference between tensioning in laboratories and the
tensioning system developed by Leonhardt, Andr & Partner for on-site application
For practical on-site application, a new post-tensioning and anchorage system was therefore
developed by Leonhardt, Andr & Partner. This system can be directly anchored on the
surface of the member to be strengthened. The system can be easily handled on-site and is
suitable for both vertical and overhead application. It provides a maximum prestress of about
1000 N/mm (at a strain of 0.55%) to each laminate during the pot life of the adhesive.
Figure 3: Miniature-jack, the systems core Figure 4: Stressing operation
performance being 70 kN at 1450 bar

compression in violin bow
lt2 l
t2

peeling-off effect
Tensioning in laboratories
s
s
non-
prestressed
non-
prestressed
prestressed

compression in member
anchorage smoothens shear peaks
Tensioning on site
2000 by Leonhardt, Andr & Partners, Consulting Engineers, Germany Taiwan
page 4 of 8
A plate embedded and bonded in a concrete cover recess is used as jacking platform and to
smoothen the residual shear peaks of the bonded anchorage. The peeling and debonding
tendencies affecting the ends of a prestressed laminate could thereby be counteracted.
The bonded unstressed dead strip ends serve as an additional anchorage reinforcement.
The stressing operation is carried out using a hydraulic tandem cylinder miniature jack
(figure 3) during the pot life of the adhesive.
The single stages of the prestressing and anchorage operation at the live end of the CFRP
tendon are shown in figures 4 and 5.
Figure 5: Stages (1) to (3) of the stressing/anchorage operation
(1) Stressing operation (2) Curing of the adhesive (3) Final (permanent) stage
The sequence of operations is shown in figure 6
Figure 6: Sequence of operations during application of prestressed CFRP surface-tendon
8. Installation of permanent anchor
plates (wet)
9. Removal of stressing system
10. Filling of recesses
11. Bonding of laminates non-prestressed
ends
12. Final surface treatment,
covering with mortar
1. Injection of resin into crack
2. Preparation of concrete surface
3. Installation of anchor plates in concrete
cover recess
4. Application of adhesive to strip
5. Application of strip to concrete
6. Installation of sleigh plates and
preliminary dead anchor plate (dry)
7 Tensioning operation during pot life
of adhesive
Live Dead
s
2000 by Leonhardt, Andr & Partners, Consulting Engineers, Germany Taiwan
page 5 of 8
2.3 Large Scale Test at EMPA Laboratories, Zrich
The prestressing system has been tested successfully in a large scale test at EMPA, Swiss
Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research. The testing set and the recordings of
the strain gauges during the stressing operation are shown in figures 7 and 8.
As the prestressed externally bonded CFRP tendon is meant to be applied directly to the
cracked member, the test beam was loaded before the application until cracks showed up
clearly. Additional strain gauges were installed to monitor the laminates behaviour in the
vicinity of those cracks while cyclic loadings close to the ultimate load range were applied
It was suspected that in-between the crack faces the strain on the laminate will rise rapidly
close to the ultimate strain capacity and brittle fracture will occur.
However, the recordings showed some kind of ductile behaviour effect. The strains
immediately adjacent to the monitored cracks were running behind the in-between cracks.
Figure 7: Final test of the LEOBA Figure 8: Strain gauges recordings
CarboDur post-tensioning system during stressing operation
(EMPA test report [4])
3. Practical On-site Application of Prestressed CFRP Strips
3.1 Rehabilitation of the Lauterbridge in October 1998
3.1.1 Damage
The bridge, designed as a 4-span continuous beam for each individual lane with internally
bonded tendons, showed wide cracks at the bottom of the section right next to the first
columns supports. It was built in 1970 and is located near Gomadingen, Southern Germany.
These cracks, which were found in the supposed compression area of the section, can be
explained as follows:
- The internal tendons were prestressed excessively.
- The tendons parabolic line was not adapted correctly to the bending moment of a
supported section.
- The dead load of the concrete structure itself is presumed to be too high.
- The combined structural effect of the two beams due to the obliquely angled support of
the columns was not considered in design.
Lamellendehnung
VersuchsbalkenV1,SpannenderLamelleam7.7.1998
-1,0
0,0
1,0
2,0
3,0
4,0
5,0
6,0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
[min]
D
e
h
n
u
n
g

[


o
/
o
o
]
DMSK4
DMSK5
DMSK6
2000 by Leonhardt, Andr & Partners, Consulting Engineers, Germany Taiwan
page 6 of 8
Figure 9: Bottomview and sideview of the Lauterbridge in Gomadingen. Structure showed wide
cracks right next to the columns support in the supposed compression area
3.1.2 Rehabilitation
The first practical on-site application of bonded prestressed CFRP strips anywhere in the
world was carried out successfully in October 1998.
By applying prestressed externally bonded CFRP strips, combined with a prior injection of
resin, a local compression zone was created. The cracked section could be forced back into an
uncracked state.
This gain in stiffness improved the serviceability and relieved the strains on the internal
reinforcement. The crack faces were taped and fixed together. They will no longer breathe
while bearing cyclic and reversed loading.
A non-prestressed application could not have achieved the same effect in this sensitive
compression-tension reversal zone.
Figure 10: Sideview of the Lauterbridge in Gomadingen
Figure 11: Four LEOBA-CarboDUR CFRP tendons at each cracked section with a maximum
prestress of 1000 N/mm at a pre-strain of 0.55 % for each strip; loose ends not yet
bonded
Underside
cracks
2000 by Leonhardt, Andr & Partners, Consulting Engineers, Germany Taiwan
page 7 of 8
3.2 Post-strengthening of Existing RC Shear Wall at Bank of Langen in July 1999
Structural alterations required two new openings to be cut into an existing reinforced concrete
shear wall structure under full loading at a bank building in Langen, Germany.
As can be gathered from the simplified truss model shown in figure 12, the horizontal tension
forces, resulting from the change in direction of the compression stress on top of and below
the new openings, tend to form cracks in the existing structure.
The internal reinforcement below the new openings turned out to be sufficient, as the
reinforcement of the slab could be taken into account.
However, the section above the openings lacked a horizontal internal reinforcement and, as
calculations showed, could not withstand the developing tension stresses without forming
wide cracks, reaching probably up to the slab above.
An additional external reinforcement, which would participate in bearing the tension stress
without any slip delay, was required.
The method used to prevent any cracks from forming was to concentrically pre-compress
the concrete section above the new openings by applying externally bonded prestressed CFRP
strips before cutting out the openings. The degree of concrete pre-compression was designed
according to the expected tension stress.
Therefore seven CFRP strips, with a total of 420 kN prestressing force, were applied as
externally bonded surface tendons before cutting work began.
The application was carried out successfully in July 1999.
Figure 12: Simplified truss model and the arrangement of the post-tensioned CFRP strips
applied in order to pre-compress the concrete section before cutting the new
openings.
Figure 13: Rear view of the strengthened shear wall to which seven LEOBA-CarboDUR
prestressed CFRP strips and an additional four unstressed CFRP strips were
applied; the front is already covered with fire protection plates
2000 by Leonhardt, Andr & Partners, Consulting Engineers, Germany Taiwan
page 8 of 8
4. Conclusion
In addition to the well known advantages of using unstressed CFRP composites as externally
bonded reinforcement in structural repair and rehabilitation work, the application of externally
bonded prestressed CFRP strips will be an even more effective and economic method of
improving structural performance.
With this method, the load bearing capacity of a strengthened section can be actively
influenced by the external stressing force before the time of bonding.
Combined with a prior injection of resin, cracked sections can be compressed back to the
uncracked state, thus gaining back flexural rigidity with a minimum of additional cross
sectional area. This gain in stiffness will improve the serviceability and relieve the strains on
the internal reinforcement. The crack faces are taped and tightened up and will not breathe
anymore while bearing cyclic loading. This might be a convenient and low-budget method to
solve the increasing coupler-joint cracking problems encountered at a huge number of
prestressed concrete bridges equipped with internally bonded tendons.
The likelihood of cracks forming in existing reinforced concrete structures due to structural
alterations (e.g. new openings) and changes to the statical system can be completely avoided
by applying post-tensioned CFRP strips. On account of the residual truss-model tension
forces, the concrete can be precompressed before alteration work begins. In addition, the
prestressed external CFRP reinforcement can be activated immediately for additional loadings
without any slip-delay.
5. References
[1] Martin Deuring, EMPA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing,
Report No. 224, 1993
[2] Rostasy, Holzenkmpfer, Hankers, Geklebte Bewehrung fr die Verstrkung von
Betonbauteilen, Betonkalender 1996, Berlin Ernst& Sohn
[3] Sika CarboDur Bonded Carbon Fibre Plate, German Institute of Construction
Technology, Berlin, authorisation No. Z-36.12-29
[4] EMPA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing, ReportNo172745/21998
[5] H P Andr, M. Maier, Zukunftsweisende Entwicklung fr Bauteilverstrkung und
Ertchtigung, LEOBA-CarboDur als Oberflchenspannglied, IBK-Fachtagung 241,
Darmstadt 1999
[6] H P Andr, Verstrkung von Brcken durch aufgeklebte, vorgespannte
Kohlefaserlamellen, Brckenbautagung der Bayerischen Straenbauverwaltung, 28./29.
Sept. in Kulmbach