Design, Assessment and Retrofitting of RC Structures is the second volume of the Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Fracture Mechanics of Concrete and Concrete Structures (FraMCoS-6, Catania, Italy, 17-22 June 2007), and is divided into four parts: (1) Theoretical and Experimental Investigation on the Mechanical Behaviour of RC Structures; (2) Practical Problems in RC Structural Applications; (3) Monitoring and Assessment of RC Structures ; (4) Maintenance and Retrofitting of RC Structures.

Fracture Mechanics is used to interpret different problems: anchor fastening; plastic rotation capacity in RC beams; minimum reinforcement and ductility. It is also relevant to questions of size effect; flexural-shear-crushing failure mode transition; cohesive crack modelling; and rebar corrosion. Traditional problems arising in RC structures are also reconsidered and re-interpreted: crack width evaluation; dynamic and impact loading; fire and thermal degradation; fatigue strength assessment; as well as punching and spalling. Monitoring and assessment issues in RC structures come under discussion, such as acoustic emission and ultra sound. Maintenance and retrofitting techniques are treated, including the increasingly popular technique of fibre-reinforced polymer sheets used as wrapping around cracked structures, for example, to strengthen beams and columns.

The other two volumes comprising the Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Fracture Mechanics of Concrete and Concrete Structures are: New Trends in Fracture Mechanics of Concrete; and High-Performance Concrete, Brick-Masonry and Environmental Aspects. They present a wealth of information, and will be useful to professional civil engineers, postgraduate students and researchers.

Design, Assessment and Retrofitting of RC Structures