REHABILITATION OF DETERIORATED REINFORCED CONCRETE MEMBERS USING ADVANCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS: A CASE STUDY OF A DETERIORATED 8-STOREY BUILDING IN THE CITY OF ABU DHABI IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

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Date
2017-10
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The British University in Dubai
Abstract
The deterioration of reinforced concrete in building structures due to factors such as aging, reinforcement corrosion, humidity and oxidation, and freeze-thaw events, had imposed a great deal of stresses on these structures. In addition, unfortunate errors or omissions in preliminary designs performed by designers have motivated the researchers on finding a more durable and sustainable material that can be used in repairing and rehabilitation of deteriorated structural elements. Due to the scarcity of raw materials, the rising expenses in production, durability and ecological concerns, and the necessity to attain a high strength to weight ratio material dictated the expansion of research to discover new materials that acquire sufficient engineering properties to meet the rising demands of the construction industry. Investigations were carried out utilizing advanced polymers due to their extraordinary physical and mechanical properties that could be an ideal substitute towards the reinforcement of concrete structures. A case study presenting the practical applications and analysis for the use of advanced composite materials in the rehabilitation of deteriorated reinforced concrete structural members of an 8-storey building located in the city of Abu Dhabi were examined in this paper in comparison with the demolishing and reconstruction option of the building. The investigation undertook micro-concrete advanced composite materials as the main primary material to carryout the service life and life cycle cost analysis of the structural column elements to reach the most economical and effective solution to apply on the deteriorated structure. Although the research resulted in an extension of the service life of the structure by 9 to 12 years (± 1), the resulting repair cost for the deteriorated structural elements were determined to be higher initially by at least 11.1% with an overall lifecycle cost range between 24.7% and 32.3% higher than the re-construction cost of the said structure. While there is a great potential in terms of environmental aspects, as well as the extension of service life possibility of the structure through the utilization of advanced composites in repairing and rehabilitation of concrete structures in the GCC region, it is presently determined not as feasible and cost effective preference.
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DISSERTATION WITH DISTINCTION
Keywords
reinforced concrete, construction industry, United Arab Emirates (UAE), reinforcement of concrete structures, advanced composite material
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