STRENGTHENING EFFECTS OF CIRCUMFERENTIAL CFRP LAYERS FOR THIN-WALLED STEEL CYLINDERS UNDER AXIAL COMPRESSION

Abstract

Recently, the security and integrity of large thin-walled steel cylinders (TSCs) have been threatened by an increasing number of high-magnitude earthquakes. To develop a sustainable economy and infrastructure, existing tanks must be strengthened. In this study, we investigate the strengthening effects of circumferential CFRP layers on the increasing load-carrying capacities of TSCs under compressive load through finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments. The results show that circumferential CFRP layers, particularly high-strength CFRP sheets, can increase the load-carrying capacity of TSCs. In addition, numerical results are found to correspond well with experimental results.