CFRP Repair Method for Corroded Steel Girder Ends

Loss of cross section owing to corrosion is a primary factor in the deterioration of steel bridges. Therefore, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) has attracted attention as a material for repairing and reinforcing steel bridges because of its light weight, high strength, and superior durability. Although many studies have been published relating to this topic, previous studies have primarily focused on the application of CFRP to axial or bending members. However, most of the corrosion is found on the webs or columns at the ends of the main girders. Few investigations have examined repairing corroded webs or columns using CFRP. In this research, a shear buckling test for steel girders and a uniaxial compression test for cruciform columns are conducted to develop a repair method for corroded steel girder ends using CFRP sheets. In this method, low elastic putty layers are inserted between steel and CFRP sheets to improve the performance of out-of-plane deformation.