Repair of RC columns with corroded reinforcement by means of high performance jacket

Corrosion of reinforcement is one of the leading cause of the deterioration in reinforced concrete structures. Hence, in their retrofitting it is necessary to determine the corrosion damage to estimate the residual structural strength and to define strengthening techniques which allow to recover the initial capacity of the structure. The aim of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of a new strengthening technique based on the application of a high performance fiber reinforced jacket for the retrofitting of RC columns with problems of reinforcement corrosion. Three full-scale experimental tests on column specimens have been performed. The first part of the study concerns the artificial corrosion of the steel bars of the specimens through the use of the electrolytic cells. In the second part of the research the specimens have been loaded with static horizontal cyclic loads with increasing amplitude, up to the failure. The obtained results show the effectiveness of this technique in recovering the original bearing capacity of the columns, reaching also an adequate ductility level.