Characterization of FRP rods as near-surface mounted reinforcement

The use of near surface mounted (NSM) fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) rods i s a promising technology for increasing flexural and shear strength of defi cient reinforced concrete (RC) members. As this technology emerges, the str uctural behavior of RC elements strengthened with NSM FRP rods needs to be fully characterized. Given the variability of material properties and groov e geometry, this requires that the tensile properties of the FRP rod and th e mechanics of load transfer between NSM FRP rods and concrete be investiga ted. Tensile and bond tests on commercially available carbon FRP deformed r ods for application as NSM reinforcement were carried out using test method s that are expected to become standards in North America. Three full-size b eams, one control beam and two beams strengthened in shear with NSM FRP rod s, were tested. Test results are presented and compared with the prediction s of a simple design approach, showing reasonable agreement.