Confining
concrete is an effective method to enhance the strength and ductility of
reinforced concrete columns.
Fibre
reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are
emerging as a suitable confining material to replace conventional materials
such as steel and fibre-reinforced cement composites. Past research on the
behaviour of FRP confined concrete in compression is considerable; however,
limited research has been reported on the behaviour of confined concrete under
sustained
compressive loading. This paper reports the preliminary results of an
experimental investigation on the deformational behaviour of carbon FRP (CFRP)
confined concrete columns under sustained compressive stress levels,
corresponding to 40% and 60% of the unconfined concrete compressive strength
for up to 150 days. The results show that the creep of confined concrete
columns is marginally influenced under moderate sustained stress/strength
ratios.