Construction of SIMCON retrofitted reinforced concrete columns

by 1967- Coskun, Hilmi

COSKUN, HILMI. Construction of SIMCON Retrofitted Reinforced Concrete Columns. (under the direction of Dr. Michael L. Leming) There is a growing interest on infrastructure retrofitting due to updated seismic codes and increased service loads. There may be some economical reasons or preservation needs to strengthen a structure instead of demolishing it. For strengthening purposes alternatives include steel jacketing and Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) wrapping. This study focuses on Slurry Infiltrated Mat Concrete (SIMCON) as an option for strengthening of reinforced concrete columns. Before SIMCON is applied routinely for strengthening of a column, however, certain critical construction and constructibility factors affecting the jacketed column behavior must be resolved. In this study, the frost durability of SIMCON was examined, factors associated with the construction of a SIMCON jacket were identified, the influence of these factors on service load and ultimate state behavior were evaluated, the criticality of these factors was determined, and general guidelines for the construction or design of SIMCON jackets on existing columns were developed. In addition, an approximate cost of SIMCON jackets for existing reinforced concrete columns was developed in order to evaluate the economic viability of the SIMCON jacket.