Shake-Table Studies of Repaired Reinforced Concrete Bridge Columns Using Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Fabrics

The main objective of this study was to develop a rapid and effective repair method using carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabrics for earthquake-damaged reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns. Shake-table studies, repair methods, and test results are discussed in this paper. One standard bent of a two-span bridge model with two low-shear columns, two standard high-shear columns, and one low-shear and one high-shear substandard column were tested on shake tables. The column models were repaired using CFRP fabrics; fast-setting, nonshrink repair mortar; and epoxy injection and retested on shake tables to evaluate the performance of the repair procedure. The results indicated that the strength and displacement capacity of the standard columns were successfully restored and those of the substandard columns were upgraded to meet current seismic standards after the repair. However, the stiffness was not restored due to material degradation during the original tests.