10.1.1 Failure modes—The flexural strength of a section depends on the controlling failure mode. The following flexural failure modes should be investigated for an FRP-strengthened section (GangaRao and Vijay 1998):
• Crushing of the concrete in compression before yielding of the reinforcing steel;
• Yielding of the steel in tension followed by rupture of the FRP laminate;
• Yielding of the steel in tension followed by concrete crushing;
• Shear/tension delamination of the concrete cover (cover delamination); and
• Debonding of the FRP from the concrete substrate (FRP debonding).
Concrete crushing is assumed to occur if the compressive strain in the concrete reaches its maximum usable strain (εc = εcu = 0.003). Rupture of the externally bonded FRP is assumed to occur if the strain in the FRP reaches its design rupture strain (εf = εfu) before the concrete reaches its maximum usable strain.
Cover delamination or FRP debonding can occur if the force in the FRP cannot be sustained by the substrate (Fig. 10.1).
Such behavior is generally referred to as debonding, regardless of where the failure plane propagates within the FRP-adhesivesubstrate region. Guidance to avoid the cover delamination failure mode is given in Chapter 13.
Away from the section where externally bonded FRP terminates, a failure controlled by FRP debonding may govern (Fig. 10.1(b)). To prevent such an intermediate crack-induced debonding failure mode, the effective strain in FRP reinforcement should be limited to the strain level at which debonding may occur, εfd, as defined in Eq. (10-2)
fc′ ≤ 0.9εfu in in.-lb units
εfd = 0.083 ----------nEf tf
(10-2)
f c′ ≤ 0.9εfu in SI units
εfd = 0.41 ----------nEf t f