Entrada Pilaster Composite Strengthening
Project-specific pilaster shear strengthening at Entrada using carbon fiber arrangements suited to the member’s two principal directions.
Delta Structural Technology completed composite strengthening associated with the Entrada wing-wall pilasters in Westlake, Texas. The Simpson Strong-Tie engineering package addressed added shear capacity at a defined pilaster condition. It developed a reinforcement arrangement for the two principal directions of the member, responding to the horizontal component of a prying force specified for the project.
- Market
- Commercial
- Services
- CFRP pilaster shear strengthening
- Location
- Westlake, Texas
Project challenge
The pilaster required an externally bonded reinforcement detail that accounted for its rectangular geometry and available wrapping faces. The design evaluated the member in both principal directions because the effective reinforcement geometry changed with orientation. The wrap was not a fully enclosed confinement jacket, making its actual contact and development configuration important to the shear calculations.
Project approach
The engineered solution used unidirectional carbon fiber from Simpson’s composite strengthening system. The package evaluated a two-sided arrangement in one direction and a U-wrap configuration in the other. Its stated objective was to provide the supplemental shear force required by Viewtech’s design information. Material properties, bond-dependent strain limits and the effective geometry were incorporated into the calculations before the selected strip arrangement was specified.
Delivery and coordination
The calculation package was prepared for Delta and tied to the August 2020 design documents, with a sealed November revision. The reinforcement detail depended on confirmation of the concrete strength and the specified member geometry. Engineering coordination therefore centered on the actual pilaster condition, the required force and the available wrap configuration as interrelated parts of the design.
Project significance
Entrada illustrates a focused pilaster retrofit in which fiber geometry is central to the structural solution. Its distinguishing feature is the different reinforcement configuration evaluated in the two principal directions. The case shows why a composite detail must follow the actual member shape and force requirement rather than treating all column-like elements as interchangeable.
