Finite Element Analysis of Retrofitting Techniques for Non-Ductile Reinforced Concrete Beam-to-Column Joints Subjected to Cyclic Loading: A Parametric Study

The experience of past earthquakes has shown that the beam-column joints in moment frames are one of the key members in the path of lateral load transfer and their poor performance results in the total collapse of the building. In this study, four reinforced concrete beam-column joints were simulated using the nonlinear finite element analysis ABAQUS software. Different parameters were taken into consideration including Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) grid and engineered cementitious composites (ECC), externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) of CFRP sheets, EBR of CFRP sheets combined with steel anchor bolts, externally bonded reinforcement on grooves (EBROG) of CFRP sheets, Hybrid FRP grid (GFRP+CFRP) and ECC, and steel jacketing. The nonlinear finite element analysis results showed that the steel jacketing method can significantly enhance the beam-column joint performance leading to an 87% higher lateral load capacity.