Efficacy of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates in retrofitting the damaged moment resisting RC frames

This study investigates the structural performance enhancement of damaged ordinary moment resisting reinforced concrete (RC) frames retrofitted with Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) laminates under seismic loading conditions. Utilizing advanced non-linear dynamic analysis in ABAQUS, the research simulates seismic-induced damage in RC frames and subsequently evaluates the effectiveness of CFRP laminates in mitigating such damage. The novelty of this work lies in its parametric evaluation of CFRP retrofit configurations, including variations in laminate thickness, length, width, and wrapping inclination angles. The findings demonstrate that a CFRP wrap with a 60° inclination outperforms the conventional 90° application in terms of displacement control, particularly at 1 mm and 2 mm thicknesses. Among various retrofitting models studied, the M2 model exhibited superior seismic displacement performance, while the M3 model showed enhanced axial load and flexural capacity. Additionally, both M2 and M3 models achieved significant improvements in shear strength compliance as per FEMA 356 guidelines. This research provides critical insights into optimizing CFRP retrofit strategies to improve the seismic resilience of existing RC frame structures.