Hope College Department of Physics and Engineering Research Experiences for Undergraduates Summer 2006 Project Summary

This research project investigated heat transfer mechanisms that occur during radiant heating of glass/epoxy composites bonded to concrete. The ultimate goal is to develop a field procedure for estimating the thickness of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites used to strengthen existing reinforced concrete structures. Thickness is an important parameter in the design and implementation of nondestructive testing procedures that evaluate bond in FRP systems. Four concrete samples (15 cm x 30 cm x 5 cm) were constructed with glass/epoxy composite bonded to the surface. The thickness of the composite varied from 1mm to 4mm. Experimental data was compared with a simple theoretical model that predicts the surface temperature response of a layered system subjected to a uniform heat flux. Two factors were shown to significantly influence the heat transfer mechanism: surface absorptivity of the FRP composite and convective cooling.

*This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF-REU Grant No. 0452206.

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Brown, J., Baker, R and Kallemeyn, L. (2008). "Crack detection and fatigue related delamination in FRP composites applies to concrete". SPIE Defense and Security Symposium: Thermosense XXX, Orlando, Florida, March 16-20, 2007

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