This paper aims at investigating the parameters that affect strengthening of Steel Square Hollow Sections (SHS) and Rectangular Hollow Sections (RHS) against local buckling failure using CFRP sheets and strips. Two main parameters that affect the percentage of strength enhancement provided by CFRP strengthening schemes have been studied. The first parameter is the individual plate slenderness for full strengthening technique, and the second is the distance between strips for partial strengthening technique. The effect of the two parameters has been studied for both square and rectangular sections using finite element non-linear analysis (FENLA) modeling after being verified with previous experimental work. The enhancement percentage provided by either full wrapping or partially wrapping techniques increases by increasing the plate slenderness of SHS and RHS. The enhancement in axial capacity of fully wrapped SHS columns ranges between 25.9 % and 95.4 while, fully wrapped RHS columns have an enhancement in axial capacity ranges between 7 % and 36%. The enhancement in axial capacity of partially strengthening SHS and RHS increases by decreasing the spacing between fiber strips however, it is still lower than the enhancement provided by full wrapping. The conducted study reveals that; strengthening using CFRP wrapping is more efficient in case of SHS than the case of RHS. |
