Confining reinforced concrete columns in steel jackets is an effective method to increase basic strength capacity.
Steel jacketing not only provides enough confinement but also prevents deterioration of shell concrete, which is the main reason of bond failure and buckling of longitudinal bars. In most applications the steel plates are bonded to the concrete by means of epoxy adhesives, and in addition to bonding, it is a good practice to also bolt the steel plates to the concrete.
While this process is relatively labour and equipment intensive, there are many applications where the use of steel plates is the best alternative for structural strengthening.
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