ABSTRACT
This study aims to investigate the behavior of concrete confined by a sustainable developed lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced polymer mesh fabric (CFRP-MF), which utilized lightweight expanded glass (EG) aggregate and fly ash (FA) as a partial cement replacement. The main test parameters include concrete compressive strength, fly ash replacement content, number of fabric layers, and fabric mesh size. An experimental program was conducted on 56 cylindrical specimens following ASTM C39. The findings demonstrate that the developed CFRP-MF is a promising sustainable composite material for structural strengthening, significantly enhancing the compressive performance of concrete in both pre-crack and post-crack stages. While the fly ash replacement content (20-40%) showed minimal impact on the overall compressive performance of CFRP-confined concrete; the concrete grade, fabric reinforcement ratio, and CFRP mesh size had notable effects. The effectiveness of confinement was strongly dependent on the concrete grade: lower compressive strengths exhibited greater improvement in peak stress and strain, while the most significant enhancement in the ductility index was observed in high-strength concrete. Furthermore, larger mesh sizes were found to reduce peak stress, strain capacity, ultimate strain, ductility index, and energy absorption compared to smaller mesh sizes.
