Title: Shear Behavior of 60-Year-Old Bridge Girder Strengthened Using CFRP Sheets

Author(s): Mohamed Ahmed, Slimane Metiche, Radhouane Masmoudi, Richard Gagne, and Jean- Philippe Charron

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 360

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 156-178

Keywords: Shear behavior; Residual capacity; Deconstructed; CFRP; Finite element; real service condition.

DOI: 10.14359/51740623

Date: 3/1/2024

Abstract:
his paper presents preliminary experimental and numerical results of a research program aimed at investigating the residual capacity of 60-year-old reinforced concrete bridge girders strengthened using CFRP sheets. Two 4.5 m and 5.0 m long, bridge girders were deconstructed from a bridge located in Canada. The two 60-year-old girders have been strengthened with CFRP for the last six years of the service life of the bridge. The two full-scale girders were tested at the structural lab of Sherbrooke’s University after having suffered under real service conditions. A finite element model using the ANSYS program had been validated with the experimental results before it was used as a control sample for non-strengthened conditions. The test results revealed that the CFRP strengthening technique can extend the service life of the bridge element by keeping their shear capacity safe. The CFRP strengthening configuration of the two girders increased the maximum shear capacity by 35.5 % and 30 % over the finite element control model. The presented outcomes show the effectiveness of using the external CFRP sheets as an external technique for bridge rehabilitation. The test results were compared with the ACI 440 2R-17 and CSA S6-19 design guidelines. The theoretical comparison between guidelines, experimental and numerical results shows that the two guidelines are considered overly conservative.