Effectiveness of FRP materials with alternative concrete removal strategies for reinforced concrete bridge column wrapping

Bridge owners are increasingly attracted to fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials for bridge repair and rehabilitation as a cost-effective means for extending service life of bridge components. Major bridge applications for these materials include bridge decks, concrete strengthening, and column wrapping. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has been one of the leading states in using FRP materials for these applications, mostly on an experimental basis. Realising that data on durability of structural components retrofitted with these materials are unavailable and there is a lack of standards for design and installation, NYSDOT has been monitoring several of these applications. FRP wrapping was used, in several applications, to extend the service life of concrete bridge columns by sealing the concrete surface and confining future delaminations. This paper reports on a research study, which evaluated alternative concrete removal strategies with one layer of FRP wrapping.