Characterization and Simulation of the Bond Response of NSM FRP Reinforcement in Concrete

The near-surface mounted (NSM) technique with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement as strengthening system for concrete structures has been broadly studied during the last years. The efficiency of the NSM FRP-to-concrete joint highly depends on the bond between both materials, which is characterized by a local bond–slip law. This paper studies the effect of the shape of the local bond–slip law and its parameters on the global response of the NSM FRP joint in terms of load capacity, effective bond length, slip, shear stress, and strain distribution along the bonded length, which are essential parameters on the strengthening design. A numerical procedure based on the finite difference method to solve the governing equations of the FRP-to-concrete joint is developed. Pull-out single shear specimens are tested in order to experimentally validate the numerical results. Finally, a parametric study is performed. The effect of the bond–shear strength slip at the bond strength, maximum slip, and friction branch on the parameters previously described is presented and discussed.