Concrete bridges are conventionally reinforced with steel bars and/or prestressed with steel tendons. When subjected to aggressive environments, corrosion of the reinforcing and prestressing steel occurs and eventually leads to premature structural deterioration and loss of serviceability. In addition, the increasing service loads as well as seismic upgrade requirements result in a need to strengthen many of these bridges.

The use of externally bonded steel plates for flexural and shear strengthening of concrete members is well established. However, corrosion related problems have limited the use of this technique for outdoor application. Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are corrosion resistant and exhibit several properties that make them suitable for repair/strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. However, the database for performance of FRP strengthened RC members is based on small-scale specimens that do not account for the variation of boundary conditions of a real structure. Full scale field tests can demonstrate the actual behavior of a structure and can lead to a better understanding of the performance of the system and therefore strengthening design requirements.

View complete reports (PDF):

• Volume I: Strengthening and Testing to Failure of Bridge Decks
• Volume II: Feasibility Study on Damage Detection of RC Structures Using Dynamic Signature Tests
• Volume III: Strengthening and Testing to Failure of Bridge Piers