Reducing the seismic damage of reinforced concrete frames using FRP confinement

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of FRP confinement on reducing the damage of an 8-storey poorly-confined reinforced concrete frame subjected to different seismic intensities. Inelastic time history and damage analyses are performed for the poorly-confined frame and its FRP retrofit. Analyses are also performed for a geometrically similar frame designed with the more restrictive requirements of an intermediate frame for comparison with the poorly-confined and retrofitted frames. The results confirm the positive effect of FRP confinement significantly reducing the damage of the poorlyconfined frame down one or two damage levels. The comparison reveals that the poorly-confined frame has been essentially upgraded to the intermediate frame. The results are useful for structural designers working in retrofitting area. The limitation of this study is also presented.