Bond-Damaged Prestressed AASHTO Type III Girder-Deck System with Retrofits: Parametric Study

This research describes an in-depth analysis of the flexural strength of a strengthened AASHTO Type III girder-deck system with debonding-damaged strands based on the finite element software ABAQUS 6.17. To investigate the stand-debonding impact and retrofit, two strengthening techniques by the separate use of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and steel plate (SP) were proposed. A detailed finite element analysis (FEA) model considering strand debonding, material deterioration, and retrofitting systems was developed and verified against relevant experimental data obtained by other researchers. The proposed FEA model and the experimental data were in good agreement. The sensitivity of the numerical model to the mesh size, element type, dilation angle and coefficient of friction was also investigated. Based on the verified FEA model, 156 girder-deck systems were studied, considering the following variables: (1) debonding level, (2) span-to-depth ratio (L/d), (3) strengthening type, and (4) strengthening material amount. The results indicated that the debonding level and span-to-depth ratio had a major effect on both load–deflection behaviors and the ultimate strength. The relationships between the enhancement of the ultimate strength and the thickness of the strengthening material were obtained through regression equations with respect to the CFRP- and SP-strengthened specimens. The coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.9928 for the CFRP group and 0.9968 for the SP group.

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