Design and Construction of CFRP Rod Panel Retrofit for Impacted RC Bridge Girders

• Main Authors: Abheetha Peiris, Issam Harik
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-07-01
• Series: Journal of Composites Science
• Subjects: impact damage; CFRP; CRP; reinforced concrete; load rating; bridge retrofit
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2504-477X/2/3/40

CFRP Rod Panels (CRPs) have been recently developed to externally strengthening concrete structures in flexure, especially over multi-lane highways. Both exterior beams of a reinforced concrete (RC) bridge traversing southbound Interstate 71 (I-71) in Kentucky were damaged by an over-height truck impact. Rebars within the bottom mat of each exterior beam were severely bent due to the impact. CRP 195, with CFRP rods 3.96-mm (0.156 in) in diameter, and having a capacity of 870 kN (195.6 kips) per 300 mm (12 in) width of panel, were selected for flexural strengthening. CRPs were chosen due to their modular construction capability permitting a smaller work crew to carry out the retrofit construction while requiring closure of only a single lane of traffic on I-71. As current codes do not address CRPs, the retrofit design was based on American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidelines for externally bonded FRP. A load rating of the impacted girders was carried out for the as-built, damaged, and retrofitted stages. This paper details the retrofit construction of the bridge girders, highlighting the advantages of the CRPs.