Repair of damaged RC columns using fast curing FRP composites

In this study, two fast curing resins were used to repair pre-damaged RC columns. They were 1.5-hour heat activated curing prepreg and 20-min ultraviolet curing resin. A 24-hour curing epoxy was also used for comparison purposes. A total of 24 steel reinforced φ 152.4 mm×609.6 mm small-scale concrete columns were designed, cast, cured, surface prepared, and pre-damaged. The damaged samples were repaired using the three types of E-glass fabric reinforced resins. An accelerated conditioning using boiling seawater and ultraviolet radiation was also conducted to investigate the hygrothermal durability of the repaired samples. Uniaxial compression test was conducted on both control samples and conditioned samples. The test results and cost/benefit analysis results show that the two fast curing resins can replace the currently used long-time curing resins in repairing damaged RC columns.