Microstructural Characteristics of Polyurea and Polyurethanexerogels for Concrete Confinement with FRP System

Due to their exceptional mechanical properties,xerogels attract increasing attention forstructural applications. In this study, the mechanical behavior of two types of polymeric xerogelsis investigated. The excellent energy-absorbing capability of those xerogelsis demonstrated by their stress-strain relations with respect to their microstructure determined withscanning electron microscopy (SEM). A pilot study on the effects of xerogellayers in an FRP system for concrete confinementis conducted.Test results clearly indicatedthat the proposed multi-layer systemcan significantly increase the ductility of confined concrete.