Strengthening full-scale damaged prestressed concrete bridge girders with CFRP sheets

Abstract

A large percentage of bridges in Canada were constructed over thirty years ago and their condition steadily declining. A product of deterioration and corrosive environments, many structures have been rendered unfit as per design codes and [are] structurally unsound. Constructing new structures and conventional repair methods are financially costly. A solution lies in fibre reinforced polymers (FRP). This thesis summarizes experimental projects regarding FRP usage in field applications. An actual damaged bridge girder was removed and rehabilitated with the FRP system. It was loaded incrementally and statically, nearing failure, investigating the reliability of the rehabilitation technique proposed to revive strength capacity to an acceptable level. A finite element computer simulation was created, modeling the load-history of the rehabilitated girder, as well as three full-scale damaged duble-tee girders, recently rehabilitated and loaded to collapse. This full-scale testing program and computer replication shall provide engineers with confidence in using FRP technology in girder strengthening.