Description
Externally bonded Steel Reinforced Grout (SRG) is a promising technique for strengthening existing reinforced concrete (RC) and masonry structures. SRG is a composite material made of high-strength steel fibers embedded in a geopolymeric (inorganic) matrix. The failure of structural members strengthened with SRG composites typically occurs due to debonding when an interfacial crack develops at the fiber-matrix interface. This paper presents the results of single-lap shear tests performed to study the debonding phenomenon of SRG composites bonded to a concrete substrate. Specimens with one or two textile layers were tested to assess the dependency of the debonding mechanism and bond capacity on this parameter. The results of the single-lap-shear tests are used to derive a local cohesive material law (CML) which describes the interaction between the concrete substrate and SRG strips. Finally, the CML obtained is compared with CMLs proposed in the technical literature and introduced in a FE model to simulate the experimental load vs. global slip responses.
