FLEXURAL STRENGTHENING OF PRESTRESSED BRIDGE SLABS WITH FRP SYSTEMS

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials offer great potential for cost effective retrofitting of concrete structures. In response for the growing need for strengthening and rehabilitation of concrete structures and bridges, an experimental program was conducted to investigate the feasibility of using different strengthening techniques as well as different types of FRP for strengthening prestressed concrete members. Half scale models of a prestressed concrete bridge were constructed and tested to failure. The test specimens consisted of one simple span and two overhanging cantilevers. Each specimen was tested three times using a different load location in each case. The applicability of a nonlinear finite element analysis of post-tensioned bridge slabs strengthened with near surface mounted FRP reinforcement is enumerated.