Development of an innovative prestressing CFRP plate anchor: Numerical modelling and parametric study

This article presents the design of a novel prestressing anchor for the carbon fibre-reinforced-polymer (CFRP) plates. This friction-based mechanical anchor can prestress the 50 mm × 1.2 mm CFRP plates to its full tensile capacity of 2800 MPa without any premature failure or slippage. The anchor is compact (100 mm × 74 mm × 126 mm). The anchor is epoxy-free; therefore, there is no waiting time for the epoxy to set. A numerical model of the anchor, based on the finite element method using ABAQUS software, was constructed to develop this innovative anchor. A detailed parametric study was conducted in order to optimize different design parameters of the anchor. This innovative CFRP plate anchor can be used in the repair, rehabilitation and retrofitting of buildings, bridges and tunnels. This anchor can also be used in the automotive, ultra-high-speed train, aviation, space, satellite and shipbuilding industries.