Fatigue behavior of externally bonded and hybrid-bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer–to–concrete joints

• EBR and HB CFRP joints tested under cyclic fatigue loading. • Pull-out tests show different fatigue vs. static failure modes. • Higher cyclic load levels accelerate debonding propagation. • Debonding growth in EBR follows a Paris’ law-like expression. Although the bond behavior and failure modes of externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) and hybrid-bonded (HB) systems on concrete have been widely investigated under quasi-static loading, their performance under fatigue loading remains insufficiently understood. Existing research on RC structures strengthened with carbon FRP (CFRP) under cyclic loading has predominantly focused on demonstrating improvements in fatigue life. However, far less attention has been given to examining the bond behavior and the rate of debonding growth, factors that are critical to ensuring the long-term effectiveness and durability of externally bonded CFRP systems. This study experimentally examines the performance of EBR and HB CFRP-to-concrete bonded joints subjected to cyclic fatigue loading. The investigation focuses on the progression of fatigue-induced damage in bonded joints tested under direct pull-out conditions, using CFRP laminates exposed to different maximum cyclic load levels (relative to the static failure load) while keeping a constant load ratio. Under fatigue loading, interfacial debonding between the CFRP laminate and the adhesive was observed, whereas quasi-static tests typically resulted in cohesive failure within the concrete. Results also revealed that increasing the maximum cyclic load markedly accelerated the rate of debonding propagation.