Experimentally evaluating the seismic retrofitting of square engineered cementitious composite columns using CFRP

The present experimental study evaluated the seismic performance of six engineered cementitious composite (ECC) columns strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates under cyclic lateral loading. The ECC columns damaged and crushed in the first stage of cyclic tests were repaired using the ECC with a certain polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber and strengthened with flexural and sheer CFRP laminates and then re-assessed under the cyclic loading. The effects of some variables were examined on lateral displacement, energy absorption and dissipation, failure modes, crack patterns, load bearing capacity and plasticity, and the obtained results were compared with those of the first stage of cyclic tests. The results showed that retrofitting the ECC columns can improve their performance, plasticity and load-bearing threshold, delayed the concrete failure, changed the failure modes and increased the energy absorbed by the strengthened columns element by over 50%.