Strengthening of prestressed concrete girders with composites: Installation, design and inspection

The application of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) or steel reinforced polymer (SRP) materials to the tension side of a reinforced/prestressed concrete member has been accepted as a strengthening technique to increase the load carrying capacity and in some cases can enhance member serviceability. Proper installation and regular inspection of a composite (FRP or SRP) strengthening system is important since quality of the bond is essential to internally transfer forces. This paper describes an experimental programme conducted to study the behaviour of six prestressed concrete bridge girders, which were tested under static and fatigue loading conditions. The test results were combined with the results of 16 other girders tested by the authors to develop structural design guidelines and guidelines on the installation and inspection of composite strengthening systems. The behaviour was also examined using value engineering to evaluate the cost-effectiveness by investigating the overall system performance. Research findings indicate that SRP materials are more structurally efficient than carbon FRP (CFRP) materials. The results of an inspection demonstration programme, including the pull-off testing of over 150 CFRP samples, has shown that the most effective inspection techniques are visual inspection, pull-off testing, and acoustic sounding.