Method to strengthen or repair concrete and other structures
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorBassem Andrawes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method to strengthen or repair concrete and other structures comprises securing a plate having a shape memory alloy (SMA) wire embedded therein to a localized region of a structure. The SMA wire has a deformed shape configured for self-anchorage within the plate. The SMA wire is heated at or above an austenite transformation temperature, and the SMA wire resists shape recovery and remains self-anchored within the plate. Accordingly, a compressive force is generated within the SMA wire and transferred to the plate. At an interface between the plate and the localized region of the structure, the compressive force is transmitted from the plate to the structure, thereby providing localized prestressing of the structure.
Claims20
A method to strengthen or repair concrete and other structures, the method comprising:
- securing a plate having a shape memory alloy (SMA) wire embedded therein to a localized region of a structure, the SMA wire having a deformed shape configured for self-anchorage within the plate;
- heating the SMA wire at or above an austenite transformation temperature, the SMA wire resisting shape recovery and remaining self-anchored within the plate, a compressive force thereby being generated within the SMA wire and transferred to the plate,
- wherein, at an interface between the plate and the localized region of the structure, the compressive force is transmitted from the plate to the structure, thereby providing localized prestressing of the structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.