Abstract
A testing system to investigate the response of large (2 m×2 m) concrete panels strengthened with fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) to uniform pressure loads has been developed. The system combines a test frame that employs pressurized bladders to produce a uniform load on the lower compressive side of the concrete panels while the upper tensile surface is imaged by two three-dimensional digital image correlation systems. From the images taken of the panel under load, full-field displacement and strain fields are measured. The test programme studies the effects of various types of fibre reinforcement and the effect of fibre orientation on the strength and rigidity of the concrete panels.
This paper presents the development of the testing method, focusing on the creation of the panel loading system and the application of digital image correlation to the study of concrete panels. It presents data from two of the panel tests, contrasting the response of a control panel without bonded FRP and a test panel with six strips of bonded FRP in a unidirectional pattern.
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