Description
Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites are used for strengthening existing structures with different techniques such as Externally Bonded Reinforcement (EBR) and Near-Surface Mounted (NSM). While the use of CFRPs enhances the flexural response of Reinforced Concrete (RC) constructions, their high cost and environmental impact of manufacturing remain a substantial barrier to spread their use. Thus, reusing CFRP materials from other sectors might provide a solution.
Because of globalisation and transportation needs, the aeronautic sector anticipates substantial growth, resulting in a growing fleet with a bigger proportion of CFRP components due to their high specific properties. Therefore, the aeronautic industry will soon confront the challenge of handling End-Of-Life (EOL) carbon composites from decommissioned aircraft, with any clear sustainable alternative to landfilling. This work, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, proposes reusing EOL aircraft CFRP components for strengthening concrete structures.
This contribution is part of a broader project aiming to explore the feasibility to use CFRP segments from the aeronautic sector to strengthen RC elements. In particular, this work describes an experimental study to assess the bond behaviour between concrete and reused aircraft CFRP parts. It includes a series of single-shear tests with different cross-section areas and surface preparation methods for the CFRP materials. The results, in terms of load-slip response, bond capacity and failure modes are presented and compared to results from conventional benchmark CFRP materials.
