Rapid Seismic Repair of Severely Damaged Reinforced Concrete Bridge Piers

A repair technique for severely damaged cast-in-place and precast concrete bridge columns has been developed that utilizes a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer shell and epoxy anchored headed steel bars to relocate the column plastic hinge. This shell encloses the headed steel bars and is filled with non-shrink concrete to a certain height to form a repair “donut”. The repair also employs a steel collar with steel studs that is attached to the column to increase the bond between the column and repair concrete. Three columns were repaired using the repair method described. The repair successfully relocated the plastic hinge at a section adjacent to the “donut” and was capable of restoring the load and displacement capacity. The steel collar combined with the “donut” were effective in making the repair system work in a composite manner. The method is rapid and could be classified as an accelerated bridge construction technique.