Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening in circular columns is known to be more effective than in rectangular and square columns because of the uniform distribution of confining pressure. This study explores the effectiveness of using carbon-FRP anchors to improve the confinement of square reinforced concrete (RC) columns strengthened with FRP. Sharp corners in non-circular columns cause stress concentration on the corners, reducing the effectiveness of strengthening. To address this, the study examines the impact of three different anchor configurations on two sizes of FRP-strengthened square columns. The results show that the proposed anchors distribute stresses to a greater extent, resulting in a more uniform distribution of stresses and better confinement. For the best performance, it is proposed that the anchor fans surround the corners of the cross section. Experimental findings and finite element analysis results using the Concrete Damage Plasticity model in the ABAQUS material library match.
Keywords: FRP anchors; composite materials; confinement; reinforced concrete.