Bond behavior and durability of a CFRP strengthening system for steel structures

This paper describes a research program that was conducted in two phases to study the behavior of a high modulus CFRP system for strengthening steel structures. The first phase of the research consisted of an experimental program and finite element analysis to study the bond characteristics of the system. The findings indicate that a reverse tapered plate end detail can effectively increase the joint capacity. The second phase of the research focused on the environmental durability of the system. Initial test results, after only one month of exposure to severe environmental conditions shows insignificant reduction of the bond capacity. Findings of the research program indicate that the proposed CFRP system can be effectively used for strengthening and repair of steel buildings and bridges.