Description
The combined application of two baseline technologies (i- strengthening of concrete structures using fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) reinforcement and, ii- monolithic Al/Na2.99Ba0.005OCl/Cu batteries synergistically embedded into a FRP material) leads to a multifunctional retrofitting system for concrete structures, where the reinforcement is a FRP structural battery. On the one hand, the multifunctional reinforcement upgrades the mechanical capacity, and so the safety, of the structure. On the other hand, it can store electric energy from renewable sources. Unlike separate batteries, when the multifunctional reinforcement is integrated into the structure, it is protected against environmental exposure and vandalism, and does not take up habitable space. The two baseline technologies have not yet been combined for application to the construction sector. In this work, the design of the multifunctional retrofitting system is presented. Moreover, the application of the multifunctional retrofitting system in concrete structures is assessed. Failure of concrete structures strengthened with FRP almost always is expected to occur by debonding of the FRP from the concrete substrate. Thus, tests have been done on the FRP-concrete joint behaviour and failure modes have been analysed. Moreover, the battery electrical response has been monitored to investigate the influence of the stress level and/or the loss of adherence between the concrete and the multifunctional reinforcement system on the electric performance. The results are compared against the behaviour observed in the characterization campaign on the separate FRP structural batteries.
