Carbon Fiber Fabric Basement Wall Reinforcement

[LicensedToPEe]

Does anyone have any experiance in reinforcing basement wall to prevent bulging by epoxing strips of carbon fiber fabric on the inside surface of either concrete or CMU basement walls?

 

[PSlem]

I know of a couple companies doing it, but no first hand. Here's a site

http://www.thereinforcer.com/

The optimist sees the glass as half full. The pessimist sees the glass as half empty. The engineer see the glass as too big.

 

[TPNY]

Depending on the strength and elasticity of the carbon fabric you are using, try solving the moment capacity like you would steel reinforcement in a composite concrete or masonry section. Basic assumptions: the concrete and carbon fabric are perfectly composite, therefore strain from bending is linear, elastic (before yield of steel)... use your equilibrium equations - compression in concrete (and possibly top reinforcing steel) is equal to tension in fabric (and possibly lower reinforcing steel). Your maximum capacity is going to depend on which material "fails" first.
The carbon fabric is a very clean, straight-forward remedy to increase capacity of structures already in place, but it's pricy.

 

[72shortbox]

I was considering using the carbon fiber for a basment block wall repair. Any suggestions on evaluating the axial capacity of a wall that has a buldge at mid hieight with the addition of the carbon fiber on the inside

 

[oldrunner]

Just a standard P-delta analysis.

 

[TPNY]

Is your basement wall retaining earth? If so, you have lateral loads as well as axial and this is probably causing your bulge. I agree with oldrunner.