Retrofitting Damaged Bridge Elements Using Thin Ultra High Performance Shell Elements

Bridge structures could be exposed to severe environmental conditions, resulting in reduced durability and service life and demanding replacement or repair. This paper provides an alternative for retrofitting bridge elements using a thin layer of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) in a configuration that covers the damaged area and attaches to the elements. This thin shell can be designed in a variety of shapes, installed easily, and can increase the strength of bridge elements. In addition, it minimizes future corrosion, while reducing cost and time. In this experimental study, three beam specimens were used to proof test the proposed method. One specimen was used as a reference point and did not incorporate any damages. The second specimen included a damage, which simulated section loss. The third test specimen incorporated the same level of damage as the second test specimen and was retrofitted using the proposed retrofit method. A comparison of the results showed that the retrofitted beam effectively gained 18% of the capacity of the damaged beam. The material presented in this paper is proof of test concept. Additional tests are being conducted to develop a complete set of information for field implementation of the suggested retrofitting methodology

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHD30 Standing Committee on Structures Maintenance.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Transportation Research Board

    500 Fifth Street, NW
    Washington, DC  United States  20001
  • Authors:
    • Valikhani, Alireza
    • Jahromi, Azadeh Jaberi
    • Azizinamini, Atorod
  • Conference:
  • Date: 2017

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 15p
  • Monograph Title: TRB 96th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01626600
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: 17-02047
  • Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
  • Created Date: Feb 27 2017 9:25AM