New technique to protect RC slabs against explosions using CFRP as externally bonded reinforcement

In recent years, numerous explosions related to industrial accidents and terrorist attacks causing loss of life and severe damage to infrastructures have occurred all over the world. However, existing reinforced concrete (RC) structures are not designed to resist blast loads and could collapse after the incident. As a consequence, the emerging challenge of critical infrastructure protection has been recognized and nowadays there is a desire to upgrade the blast resistance of existing RC structures. The present paper provides an experimental and numerical analysis of the efficiency of using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) as externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) on RC slabs under blast loads to increase the flexural resistance of the structure. Moreover, the effect of the propagation of the blast wave within the retrofitted specimens and how it affects the bond interface between the CFRP strip and concrete during the blast loading is discussed.