Issue 78

D. D. Joshi et alii, Fracture and Structural Integrity, 78 (2026) 315-345; DOI: 10.3221/IGF-ESIS.78-19

economical alternative to FRP systems. Similar observations regarding the cost-effectiveness of SSWM have also been reported in the existing literature [55-59]. Several experimental and numerical studies have been conducted to investigate the feasibility of using SSWM as a strengthening material. Researchers have evaluated its mechanical and durability characteristics. Furthermore, the effectiveness of SSWM has been investigated for the confinement of circular concrete columns, the enhancement of flexural and shear capacity of RC beams, the improvement of torsional resistance of RC and precast beams and the strengthening of precast beam-column connections under various loading conditions. Patel et al. [54] assessed the mechanical properties of three different SSWM variants, namely, SSWM 30 × 32, 40 × 32 and 50 × 34. Tensile tests were performed on SS304 rods, 32- and 34-gauge stainless steel wires and SSWM coupon specimens to determine ultimate tensile strength, percentage elongation, rupture strain and modulus of elasticity. Bond performance between the SSWM layer and concrete substrate was evaluated using direct tensile tests on dumbbell-shaped specimens. The results indicated that the SSWM 40 × 32 variant exhibited superior overall performance compared with the other two variants considered in the study. Failure of dumbbell shaped specimens during the bond tests, was governed by tearing of the steel wires without significant debonding, demonstrating effective stress transfer and full utilization of SSWM capacity. The experimental findings also confirmed the ductile behavior of SSWM, suggesting its potential as an alternative to FRP systems for structural strengthening applications. Tavio and Alrasyid [55] investigated the tensile properties of twelve stainless steel mesh (SSM) composite specimens, considering stainless low-density (SLD) and stainless high-density (SHD) configurations. Tensile tests were conducted on coupon specimens prepared with one and two layers of mesh using epoxy adhesive. The results demonstrated ductile behavior of the SSM composites, with failure characterized as cup-cone mode. Kalyani et al. [60] investigated the behavior of SSWM at elevated temperatures and compared its performance with GFRP and CFRP. Coupon specimens of the three materials were exposed to temperatures of 100 °C, 200 °C, 300 °C, 400 °C and 500 °C for 2 hours in a muffle furnace. After exposure at elevated temperatures, tensile tests were conducted on coupon specimens to evaluate their mechanical performance. The results showed that the GFRP and CFRP specimens disintegrated and lost their shape at temperatures above 200 °C. In contrast, the SSWM specimens remained stable and retained their structural integrity even after temperature exposure to 500 °C. These findings indicated the potential of SSWM as a strengthening material for structural elements vulnerable to elevated temperatures, particularly under fire conditions. Experimental and numerical studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of SSWM strengthening on the axial compressive strength of concrete cylinders by Kumar and Patel [56,61]. Cylinders of three different concrete grades were strengthened using SSWM 40 × 32 variant. The effect of confinement provided by one-layer and two-layers of SSWM wraps was examined for specimens having three different aspect ratios. A total of fifty-four column specimens were tested and the results showed strength enhancements of approximately 61% and 86% for one-layer and two-layer wraps, respectively. No debonding between the SSWM and concrete surface was observed when epoxy adhesive Sikadur 30 LP was used. The experimental results for axial compressive strength showed good agreement with the corresponding analytical and numerical studies. Raiyani et al. [62] investigated the performance of concrete cylinders (150 mm in diameter and 300 mm in height) partially confined using SSWM. Seven partial wrapping configurations were examined by varying the clear spacing between top and bottom SSWM strips from 30 mm to 210 mm at an interval of 30 mm. The performance of partially confined specimens was compared with fully wrapped and unconfined control cylinders. The response was evaluated in terms of ultimate axial load carrying capacity, longitudinal and transverse strain, cracking strain, rupture strain of SSWM, crack patterns and failure modes. The results indicated that rupture of the SSWM occurred when the spacing between adjacent confinement strips was less than the cylinder diameter. The authors also proposed a simplified analytical model for predicting the axial compressive strength of SSWM confined concrete cylinders with good accuracy. Stainless-steel wire mesh composites have been investigated for the seismic retrofit of circular RC columns by Choi [63] and Kim and Choi [64]. The authors experimentally investigated one-fifth (1/5) scale RC columns strengthened with SSWM composites under reversed cyclic loading. The composite wrap consisted of stainless-steel wire mesh embedded in permeable polymer concrete mortar and was applied around the damaged column over different heights at the base region. The failure behaviour of the strengthened specimens showed that SSWM wrapping prevented the brittle failure observed in the control specimen. The results further demonstrated the effectiveness of SSWM composite wrapping in restoring the flexural strength and ductility of the damaged columns. The effectiveness of SSWM for flexural strengthening of RC beams was examined by Shah et al. [65] through an experimental program comprising eight beam specimens tested under four-point loading. Three strengthening configurations were considered, including full wrapping and partial wrapping of beams. In the partial wrapping configuration, 100 mm wide SSWM strips were applied at 50 mm spacing along the beam length, both between and above the stirrups. The experimental results demonstrated that SSWM strengthening enhanced the flexural performance of RC beams, with an increase in ultimate load capacity ranging from 25% to 60% compared to the control specimens. Additionally,

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