Abstract
The use of FRP for repairing, 10ad capacily upgrading and seismic retrofil is gradually being accepled in the building industry. although the lack of specitic standards SloWS doWn its diffusion. MoSt of present FRP applicalions were developed for rehabilitation and upgrading of existing concrete/RC structures. although are known some pioneer applications to masonry structural elements. This paper presents the results of a real-scale experimental work regarding innovative seismic retrofilting technique for masonry walls and vaults by epoxy-bonded composite strengthenings. Palazzo Elmi-Pandolti in Foligno, Italy. an historical building dated 1600 that was seriously damaged in the earthquake of 1997. has been repaired and retrotitted including carbon FRP strcngthenings. The cffectivcness of reinforcements has becn evaluated carrying OUt dynamic and stalic lests on vaults and walls both in the un-strcnglhened and strengthened contigurations. As several queslions regarding long term durability of composite strenglhenings and bonding reliability remain stili unsolved. a monitorage network has been includcd in the project. Long term monitoring has been planned using different tiber optic scnsors (FOS): Bragg grating strain gauges. "loW coherence.. interfèrometers (LCI) and Brillouin distributed strain/temperature tibers. Brillouin system, a promising monitorage technique Ihat use incxpensive telecom tibcr as a sensor. has becn embedded on alI the strengthenings extcnsion of about I km. Through the wavelength shift of Brillouin scattered photons it is possible lo measurc the strain and lhc temperalure of the tiber.s core. and by exploiting the time domain correlation between the measure instant and the distance along the tibcr, spatial distribution of the measured data can be idenlitied. Brillouin seems lo be very interesling for FRP non-continuous monitorage since it is cheap. durable. and is capable to keep under contr01 both strain. that gives information about lhe strengthening status and bonding 10ad transfer. and temperature, that allow to ensure that glass transition point ofthe polymer is never reached.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Composites in Construction 2003 |
Editors | Domenico Bruno, Giuseppe Spadea, Narayan Swamy |
Publisher | CCC |
Pages | 659-664 |
Publication status | Published - 2003 |