Title: Shear Strengthening of Beams on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge Trestle Spans with CFRP

Author(s): Atiq H. Alvi

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 346

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 51-67

Keywords: AASHTO Type IV girders, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), cracking, debonding, strengthening

DOI: 10.14359/51730493

Date: 1/1/2021

Abstract:
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is recognized as the State of Florida’s “flagship bridge.” The goal of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and specifically its entity that maintains the Skyway Bridge, the District 1 & 7 Structures Maintenance Office (DSMO), is to extend the life of this bridge to 100 years. Beam cracking on the trestle spans have been noted since the 1990s. In 2005 the DSMO initiated an in-depth study to determine the cause of cracking and to recommend a repair procedure. Upon completion, a committee of FDOT staff from various key offices in the State, along with consultant experts, determined criteria to address these cracks. The repairs included epoxy crack injection, penetrant sealer, and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) wrap installation. FDOT addressed the repairs in three phases. The first repair project was in 2009, the second in 2013, and the third and final began in 2019.