Concrete is the second most-consumed material in the World. Structures constructed with RCC often suffer damages over a period of time and may fail before attaining their design life. Columns are the key structural elements in load transformation. If damage in a column is left unattended, this may lead to the collapse of the entire structure. Quick repair and retrofitting of such columns will improve their ductility and load transfer capacity, which in turn ensures the safety of the structure. Jacketing is one of the techniques of reinforcing frail RCC columns that have corroded over time as a consequence of
- Deterioration due to unfavorable weather conditions
- Changes in structural functionality
- Poor structural maintenance
- Design flaws
- Unexpected damage due to earthquake
- Poor concrete production and
- Defective execution method during the construction phase.
Column jacketing is also recommended when you want to add extra floor / storey to your existing buildings. Our structural consultants in Chennai implement every process of column jacketing with utmost care.
The techniques involved in column jacketing to strengthen reinforced concrete structure are generally split into two:
- Adding new elements to the existing structure
- Reinforcing existing structure
Process of RCC column jacketing
Unlike any other activity that uses steel elements, this strengthening process does not demand specialized labor. Because of its simplicity, any organization may readily carry out this procedure.
1 – Adding longitudinal reinforcement
This process can be subdivided into two:
- Anchor footing
- Slab crossing
Anchor Footing
In this technique, it is essential to establish new foundations or reinforce the existing footings. The increased stiffness is evenly spaced out. In most cases, the longitudinal reinforcing steel bars can usually be anchored to the existing footing.
Slab Crossing
If the RCC jacketing needs to be continuous between floors, holes in the slab must be made to allow the jacket’s longitudinal steel bars to pass through. This approach is simple to use and has no disadvantages in slab-column constructions, but in beam-column structures, our engineering consultants in Chennai fit the longitudinal steel bars at the corners to minimize interruption to the center steel bars.
2 – Interface surface treatment
Proper interface preparation is critical in producing a strong link between the existing column and the additional jacket so that the finished component behaves monolithically. This method entails roughening the existing original column’s surface, then applying a bonding agent and in some circumstances steel connectors.
3 – Temporary Shoring of the Structure
The method of construction is a crucial part of any strengthening procedure. The basic goal of temporary shoring of the structure is to transfer the load from the column to the shoring structure. Hydraulic jacks can be used to complete this technique.
4 – Additional Concrete
The aggregate dimension of the additional concrete in this procedure is usually around 2 mm. This is due to a lack of room in the jacket reinforcement as a result of the reduced thickness associated with the volume filled by the additional reinforcement bars. Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is widely employed in this technique because of that reason.
Feasibility of RCC column jacketing
The RCC jacketing strengthening technology increases the structural strength and stiffness of structural parts such as columns and foundations in an evenly distributed manner. The durability of existing components will also increase. Furthermore, this strengthening method does not necessitate the use of specialized equipment. Because of all of these factors, this approach is a highly valuable asset in structural restoration.
Jacob Engineers are one of the best structural design companies in Chennai for structural consultancy or general structural design requirements. Our structural engineering experts are well-versed with all concepts of strengthening provides retrofitting services to enhance structural stability.
Get in touch with our team at Jacob Engineers today to give new life to your structure!