EFFECT OF COLD REGIONS CLIMATE ON COMPOSITE JACKETED CONCRETE COLUMNS

The construction and maintenance of structures subject to subzero (<0-degree-C) temperatures and in cold regions such as in the Arctic poses a variety of problems related to degradation of mechanical properties of exposed materials, difficulties associated with repair, and the need to minimize environmental impact due to construction. The use of composites in cold regions environments and for the purposes of infrastructure rehabilitation presents an enormous opportunity. In addition to the high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios, composites are attractive for these applications due to their light weight (and hence easy assembly) and resistance to the environment. In this paper we investigate the effect of three different composite jackets subjected to both ambient (73-degrees-F) and - 17.8-degrees-C (0-degree-F) environments on the strengthening efficiency of concrete stub elements. It is seen that for both glass- and carbon-fiber-reinforced composite wraps, compressive strength and rigidity increase with decrease in temperature. Differences in failure mode of the entire structural element (composite wrapped column) are noted.