| While traditional retrofitting methods for steel bridge girders could be time consuming and uneconomical, an alternative repair method is suggested using Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) laminate strips, providing engineers with a competitive solution that will increase the life-cycle of repaired bridges. This study investigated its feasibility as an option to strengthen and rehabilitate steel bridges. The main advantages of using CFRP laminates are their light weight and durability, which results in ease of handling and maintenance.;The dissertation conducted experimental and analytical work to evaluate the effectiveness of strengthening steel beams by the use of novel CFRP laminate strips configurations. The research involved the testing of five experimental composite beams, in addition to the development of approximately 100 finite element models. The results showed a significant gain in the beam’s elastic and ultimate capacities. The conclusion is that there are specific sensitive parameters controlling the effectiveness of the CFRP laminate rehabilitation technique. An adequate AASHTO design of the rehabilitation method, which takes into consideration the effective parameters, would result in an effective bridge structure.;Keywords: CFRP, Steel Beams, Bridge Girders, Rehabilitation, Strengthening, Finite Element Modeling, ABAQUS, SAP 2000, Design Guidelines. |
