A zero-thickness interface model for simulating the bond behavior of FRP strips glued on concrete

The present paper deals with the bond behaviour of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) laminates glued to concrete substrates. It formulates a numerical approach completely conceived within the general framework of fracture mechanics which investigates the influence of different choices of the parameters describing the post-elastic process of fracture propagation. This aspect is usually neglected and the theoretical models adopted for describing bond behaviour of FRP-to-concrete adhesive joints are generally based on assuming “a priori” the analytical expression of the interface bond-slip law. Unveiling the relationships between the above mentioned fracture parameters and the resulting bond-slip interface law is the key purpose of this paper. The proposed applications point out also the differences in terms of bond behaviour of FRP-concrete joints resulting by different possible assumptions of those fracture parameters.