During its life-time, a bonded assembly is subjected to various ageing mechanisms which may induce synergistic effects. In the case of civil structures strengthened by bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP), the influence of coupled mechanical/environmental factors is still a matter of investigation. In this context, an innovative experimental device has been designed to study the durability of concrete/FRP interfaces subjected to both sustained load and hydrothermal ageing. This test setup is able to load simultaneously several double shear specimens and can then be installed in a climatic chamber in order to superimpose accelerated ageing conditions to the creep load. Besides, the design of the test-bodies is compatible with an existing single shear method that allows to determine the residual capacity of aged specimens. This paper aims at describing the proposed creep test setup and its instrumentation, as well as the validation stages, including a comparison of preliminary experimental data with simple analytical and finite element modeling approaches.
AN INNOVATIVE EXPERIMENTAL DEVICE TO CHARACTERIZE THE CREEP BEHAVIOR OF CONCRETE /FRP ADHESIVE BOND