Efficiency of CFRP Strengthening Measures for Reinforced Concrete Structural Members Using Toughened Epoxies

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In line 207, "prims" might be "prism."

Author Response

Reviewer 1:

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In line 207, "prims" might be "prism."

Authors response: Thank you for the comments. Corrected.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Although the paper is interesting, with an experimental study, there are some observations for the authors:

1. Explain each term and its use in the proposed equations, and clearly define the original equation and which part was added. Could you correct the inaccuracies in the notation, i.e. the equation and the explanation must have the same notation?

2. Provide test schematics indicating how the FRP slip was measured.

3. Provide the slip values.

4. Check the values in Table 5, there seem to be errors. I'd like you to please report below the table how the values of the statistical parameters were obtained.

Overall I rate the paper as good, nevertheless, minor revision is required.

Author Response

Reviewer 2:

Although the paper is interesting, with an experimental study, there are some observations for the authors:

1. Explain each term and its use in the proposed equations, and clearly define the original equation and which part was added. Could you correct the inaccuracies in the notation, i.e. the equation and the explanation must have the same notation? There is no original equation that the indices are derived, it is proposed in the paper. Please specify which notations are inaccurate.
2. Provide test schematics indicating how the FRP slip was measured.

Figure 1a demonstrates the position of the instrumentation and the setup.

3. Provide the slip values.

Slip values can be derived by the shear deformations listed in Table 5.

4. Check the values in Table 5, there seem to be errors. I'd like you to please report below the table how the values of the statistical parameters were obtained.

The absolute error derives from the largest value by subtracting the lower value.

Overall I rate the paper as good, nevertheless, minor revision is required.

Authors response: Thank you for the very focused comments.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper deals with the Efficiency of CFRP Strengthening Measures for Reinforced Concrete Structural Members Using Toughened Epoxies. According to the reviewer, the paper is worth publishing at Construction Materials Journal, but some corrections are needed and then the paper can be accepted for publication in the journal. While the authors have made considerable research effort, the presentation of the paper and the results must be proved.

Additionally make the following corrections to the manuscript:

Major Issue

Comment 1
Line 276 Table 4. Input data for FEM. . The authors must give more details for FEM analysis (number of elements, FEM model, typical results). The authors must explain why in this research they used this FEM analysis. The authors must compare the results from FEM analysis and the experimental results.

Comment 2
The authors should explain the Figure 7c (For examble some values fro 30_corroded are higher than the case of the H_30).

Comment 3 T
able 6 The authors should explain: For E (MJ/m3) Prefabricated plates 0.17 (healthy) < 0.25 (corroded) and NSM bars 0.63 (healthy) < 1.45 (corroded) while the other values the "healthy" > "corroded"

Minor Issue
Comment 4 Extended text editing.

Line 3 The authors add the Country (Greece).

Line 36 and concrete [1,2,3,4], as the key The authors should replace and concrete [1-4], as the key

Line 51 of concrete [6,7,8,9]. Hence The authors should replace of concrete [6-9]. Hence

Line 83 interfaces [25,26,27,28,29,30,31], yet The authors should replace interfaces [25-31], yet

Line 97 slips [33,34,35,36,37]. A modification The authors should replace slips [33-37]. A modification

Line 101 conditions [11,38,39,40,41]. For these The authors should replace conditions [11,38-41]. For these

Line 205 according to [47,48,49,50]. The The authors should replace according to [47-50]. The

Line 233 concrete blocks [38,39,40]. A low The authors should replace concrete blocks [38-40]. A low

Line 293 [56,57,58], result The authors should replace [56-58], result

Line 312 Figure 6 Figure 6. Men shear stress-strain experimental or (Mean?)

Comment 5
The authors should comment the Ref. 46 (the comment is missing).

Comment 6
Also, two Linear Displacement Transducers (LDVT) with a maximum The authors should insert (add) more details for the using equipment (type, model).

Comment 7
Line 280 The authors must format the paper according to the journal's instructions From Figure 5 => Figure 8 and First Figure 8, then Figure 7 All Figures, Schemes and Tables should be inserted into the main text close to their first citation and must be numbered following their number of appearance (Figure 1, Scheme 1, Figure 2, Scheme 2, Table 1, etc.).

Comment 8
The authors must format the paper according to the journal's instructions 1. Author 1, A.B.; Author 2, C.D. Title of the article. Abbreviated Journal Name Year, Volume, page range.

Author Response

Reviewer 3:

The paper deals with the Efficiency of CFRP Strengthening Measures for Reinforced Concrete Structural Members Using Toughened Epoxies. According to the reviewer, the paper is worth publishing at Construction Materials Journal, but some corrections are needed and then the paper can be accepted for publication in the journal. While the authors have made considerable research effort, the presentation of the paper and the results must be proved.

Authors response: Thank you for the comments.

Additionally make the following corrections to the manuscript:

Major Issue

Comment 1
Line 276 Table 4. Input data for FEM. . The authors must give more details for FEM analysis (number of elements, FEM model, typical results). The authors must explain why in this research they used this FEM analysis. The authors must compare the results from FEM analysis and the experimental results.

The Table was left by mistake. Thank you for the comment, the table is erased.

Comment 2
The authors should explain the Figure 7c (For examble some values fro 30_corroded are higher than the case of the H_30).
As discussed in the text, the difference in values is acceptable and practically are identical to the healthy one. The higher values observed happen in a significantly lower slip value which means that the overall response is inferior to the healthy one.

Comment 3 T
able 6 The authors should explain: For E (MJ/m3) Prefabricated plates 0.17 (healthy) < 0.25 (corroded) and NSM bars 0.63 (healthy) < 1.45 (corroded) while the other values the "healthy" > "corroded"
As discussed in the section, the NSM bars present somehow a unique response. The comment is true only for Sikadur330. The specific response of the specimen exhibited a stable response after the maximum hear stress observed and this resulted in an augmented energy dissipation. The specific test of the intermediate adhesive layer in fact exhibits a rather unexpected response for the corroded substrate that needs further calibration.

Minor Issue
Comment 4 Extended text editing.
Authors put effort to eliminate any text editing.

Line 3 The authors add the Country (Greece).

The country is Greece only for one author.

Line 36 and concrete [1,2,3,4], as the key The authors should replace and concrete [1-4], as the key

Line 51 of concrete [6,7,8,9]. Hence The authors should replace of concrete [6-9]. Hence

Line 83 interfaces [25,26,27,28,29,30,31], yet The authors should replace interfaces [25-31], yet

Line 97 slips [33,34,35,36,37]. A modification The authors should replace slips [33-37]. A modification

Line 101 conditions [11,38,39,40,41]. For these The authors should replace conditions [11,38-41]. For these

Line 205 according to [47,48,49,50]. The The authors should replace according to [47-50]. The

Line 233 concrete blocks [38,39,40]. A low The authors should replace concrete blocks [38-40]. A low

Line 293 [56,57,58], result The authors should replace [56-58], result

Line 312 Figure 6 Figure 6. Men shear stress-strain experimental or (Mean?)

All above corrected.

Comment 5
The authors should comment the Ref. 46 (the comment is missing).

Comment 6
Also, two Linear Displacement Transducers (LDVT) with a maximum The authors should insert (add) more details for the using equipment (type, model).

The model is not provided by the lab. The specifications were such to cover he max measurements.

Comment 7
Line 280 The authors must format the paper according to the journal's instructions From Figure 5 => Figure 8 and First Figure 8, then Figure 7 All Figures, Schemes and Tables should be inserted into the main text close to their first citation and must be numbered following their number of appearance (Figure 1, Scheme 1, Figure 2, Scheme 2, Table 1, etc.).

Comment 8
The authors must format the paper according to the journal's instructions 1. Author 1, A.B.; Author 2, C.D. Title of the article. Abbreviated Journal Name Year, Volume, page range.

All above addressed to the maximum.

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Comment 1 (Previous Comment 7 )

Line 280

The authors must format the paper according to the journal's instructions

From Figure 5 => Figure 8 and

First Figure 8, then Figure 7

All Figures, Schemes and Tables should be inserted into the main text close to their first citation and must be numbered following their number of appearance (Figure 1, Scheme 1, Figure 2, Scheme 2, Table 1, etc.).

The authors should renumber:

Figure 6, Figure 8 and then Figure 7

Table 4 is missing.

Comment 2 (Previous Comment 5)

The authors should comment the Ref. 46 (the comment is missing).

Comment 3 (Previous Comment 8)

The authors must format the paper according to the journal's instructions

1. Author 1, A.B.; Author 2, C.D. Title of the article. Abbreviated Journal Name Year, Volume, page range.

Comment 4 (Previous Comment 8)

Line 9

The authors add the Country (Greece).

3 Civil Engineering Department, Democritus University of Thrace; [email protected]

The authors should replace

3 Civil Engineering Department, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece; [email protected]

Author Response

The authors appreciate the time the reviewer has dedicated to provide feedback and all th ecomments have been addressed in the attached file. The changes are marked in yellow and the track changes option is turned on. 

Kind regards, 

Dimitra

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf