Abstract
The adequacy of using Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) retrofit technique to restore the flexure-compression behavior of deteriorated bridge timber piles is examined experimentally in this paper. Sixteen specimens are tested monotonically under eccentric compressive loading. The specimens are first tested in their unretrofitted condition to determine their elastic properties. Each specimen is then cut and connected (posted) using the proposed FRP retrofit technique, and retested. The results show that the retrofitted specimens are capable of reaching same or higher strengths than that of the unretrofitted specimens with minimal reduction in their stiffness. Based on the experimental results, a design equation is presented to compute the volumetric ratio of FRP needed for retrofitting bridge timber piles under eccentric load.
Highlights
The relatively limited maintenance and attention which small rural bridges often receive throughout their service life could potentially result in the rapid deterioration of these bridges’ structural conditions
It is important to point out that the carbon FRP (CFRP) volumetric ratios used for SP9 and SP13 are much smaller than those of the GFRP retrofitted specimens due to the significantly higher modulus of elasticity of CFRP compared to GFRP
This study focused on evaluating the feasibility of using Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) retrofit technique to restore the flexural capacity of deteriorated bridge timber piles under eccentric loading
Summary
The relatively limited maintenance and attention which small rural bridges often receive throughout their service life could potentially result in the rapid deterioration of these bridges’ structural conditions. Due to this fact along with the consistent increase in population and loading demands, many of these bridges reach a point where they fail to accommodate current traffic volumes, vehicle sizes, and weights [1-3]. Posting a pile is a process where a portion of the pile is cut out and replaced with a new piece of timber, see Figure 1. Due to its cost-effectiveness this type of retrofit technique is preferred to a complete replacement of the entire pile or encasing of the timber pile in a thick reinforced concrete shell
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