Introduction

The invention consists in a flexible and high-performance reinforcement system for the structural strengthening of reinforced concrete members through the jacketing technique. The invention also proposes a method for the application of the reinforcement system for the structural strengthening. This invention is proposed for reducing the vulnerability of existing structures. Existing reinforced concrete structures usually need interventions to enhance their structural capacity in order to withstand to external loading demand. The proposed technology allows a repair and strengtehning jacketing of vertical structural members with high-performance materials without increasing the geometry of the members and reducing the application time.

Technical features

The invention consists in a flexible reinforcement system (i.e., grid) with longitudinal and transverse elements. The system allows the variation of the span between consecutive longitudinal elements which makes the solution suitable for simple and fast in-situ applications. Transverse rods are light and flexible elements that allow the grid to be arranged in rolls and easily applied over the structural elements. The reinforcement grid is made with high-performance materials and should be combined with high-performance mortars/cements to provide an effective jacketing of reinforced concrete vertical members and to enhance their capacity to withstand external loads during their life cycle. Development and result timing: 3-6 months for standardization of the production process of the reinforcement grid prototype and the application process on structural elements. Demonstrators were developed in the laboratory on the scale of the single structural element and the effectiveness of the proposed system was experimentally proven.

Possible Applications

• Structural strengthening of vertical members in reinforced concrete structures;
• Seismic risk mitigation with zero impact on the architectural feature of the structure;
• Repair of structures affected by ageing deterioration (corrosion).

Advantages

• Easy applicability thanks to the flexibility of the reinforcement grid;
• Negligible variation of the structural members size thanks to the use of high-performance materials;
• Enhancement of structural capacity and durability;
• Extension of the service life of existing reinforced concrete structures and infrasrtucture.