ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Externally bonded Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites have been shown through laboratory testing and some field applications to be an efficient alternative to conventional repair/strengthening techniques for deficient deck slabs and girders. Most of the current research has focused on the evaluation of the effectiveness of FRP composite strengthening at component level, namely slabs and girders. However research to date has not focused on the effects of strengthening of individual components on overall structural performance at the systems level and changes in load distribution and load paths caused by such structural modifications. There is also need to evaluate NDE techniques that can be used not only as a tool for periodic inspection and quality assessment but also to quantitatively monitor over time the progression of damage to better predict the remaining capacity and life of the damaged structure.
