Behavior of concrete bridges strengthened with CFRP

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to evaluate the behavior and performance of concrete bridges strengthenedwith CFRP composites. The bridges with various superstructure configurations, including reinforced concreteslab and prestressed concrete girder, were studied. The behaviors of strengthened bridges were evaluatedusing diagnostic load tests. Three-dimensional finite element models were developed to investigate the distributionof wheel loads for various positions on the bridge spans. The results obtained from field testing and FEM modelsrevealed that the overall load distribution was slightly altered from the CFRP strengthening system. However, theperformance of bridge structures could considerably be enhanced by the strengthening system.

Keywords : Concrete bridge, Strengthening, FRP, Finite element, Load distribution383-394