Rehabilitation of Composite Steel Bridges Using GFRP Plates

The current study is a part of an extensive research program conducted to assess the use of Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) sheets in enhancing the flexural capacity of steel beams. The properties of a heavy-duty adhesive system that can be used to bond GFRP sheets to the flanges of steel beams were experimentally determined in a previous study. The excellent performance of a W-shaped steel beam strengthened using GFRP sheets has encouraged the authors to assess the applicability of this technique to composite steel bridges. The dimensions and cross section properties of a real composite steel plate girder bridge are considered in a case study analysis. A detailed nonlinear numerical model is developed for the bridge before and after attaching GFRP sheets to the bottom flange of its steel girders. Nonlinear moving load analyses are first conducted to determine the critical truck locations that will lead to maximum GFRP axial stresses, and maximum adhesive shear and peel stresses. Using these configurations, nonlinear analyses are then conducted to assess the increase in the bridge capacity that can be achieved by bonding 38 mm GFRP sheet to the bottom flange of its steel girders.