Awam International Conference on Civil Engineering (AICCE12)

Geohazard Information Zonation (GIZ12)

Park Royal Penang Resort 28th 30th August 2012

A Survey on Strengthening Steel Bridges Using CFRP Strips

Mehran GHOLAMI, Abdul Rahman Bin MOHD SAM, Jamaludin bin Mohamad YATIM
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Abstract
Corrosion, lack of proper maintenance and fatigue sensitive details are major problems in
steel bridges. Also many bridges are in need of upgrading to carry larger loads and increasing traffic
volumes. Traditional methods of retrofitting steel bridges and structures typically utilize steel plates
that are bolted or welded to the structure. Steel plates require heavy lifting equipment and can add a
considerable dead load to the structure which reduces their strengthening effectiveness. Using high
performance, nonmetallic materials such as fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) has been a common
solution for retrofitting of infrastructures in the recent years. The superior mechanical and physical
properties of FRP materials make them quite promising for repair and strengthening of structures.
Application of FRP system for retrofitting of concrete structures has been successful. But using FRP
to retrofit steel structures has not gained the same popularity and widespread yet. During the present
decade, research work on using FRP materials in strengthening of steel structures have increased.
Several types of FRP are currently available to provide strength to metal structures. This paper
presents a summary of researches which have been carried out on strengthening of steel bridges with
CFRP materials. Then it deals with advantages of this method and some points which should be
considered for using this system. Finally it elaborates a very recent research which has been started
about the environmental durability of this system.
Keywords: Strengthening Steel Bridges, CFRP, Environmental Durability

1.

Introduction

Steel bridges constitute a large number of existing infrastructures which have been largely
expanded since around 50 years ago and now reaching a critical age with increasing signs of
deterioration and reduced functionality. There are many factors which cause aging these
structures and make them inadequate and lose their serviceability. Corrosion, lack of proper
maintenance and fatigue sensitive details are major problems in steel bridges. Besides,
environmental deterioration and aging of structural components, insufficient detailing at the
time of construction or design, use of substandard materials in initial construction are other
effective agents. Also many bridges are in need of upgrading to carry larger loads and
increasing traffic volumes. Current methods of retrofitting steel bridges and structures
typically utilize steel plates that are bolted or welded to the structure. Steel plates require
heavy lifting equipment and can add a considerable dead load to the structure which reduces
their strengthening effectiveness. The added steel plates are also susceptible to corrosion
which leads to an increase in future maintenance costs. Furthermore, mechanical details such
as bolted connections which have better fatigue life are time consuming and costly. Therefore
the need for adopting durable materials and costeffective retrofitting techniques is evident.
One of the possible solutions is to use high performance, non-metallic materials such as fiber
reinforced polymers (FRP). The superior mechanical and physical properties of FRP
materials make them quite promising for repair and strengthening of structures. Some
advantages including light weight, high strength, easiness of installation, large length of the
plates that can be delivered to construction sites and simplicity in fitting complex profile
cause FRP to be preferred to the bonded steel plates for strengthening of structures. Several
types of FRP are currently available to provide strength to metal structures. Due to its initial
success in strengthening concrete structures, glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) is a
readily available and the least expensive type of FRP. However, other types of fiber, such as,

Corresponding author e-mail: mehrangholami1352@gmail.com

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A Survey on Strengthening Steel Bridges Using CFRP Strips

carbon and aramid have been commonly used in the recent years. Lately, researches showed
that the carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) are considered to be the most suitable one
for the purpose of strengthening of steel structures. This is essentially due to the higher elastic
modulus of the CFRP over other commonly available types of FRP. Recently, however, High
Modulus CFRP (HM CFRP) materials have become commercially available which have a
modulus of elasticity more than twice that of conventional steel. Actually, the lower value of
modulus of elasticity of standard CFRP in comparison to steel may result in increasing the
number of layers required to increase the stiffness of the section and consequently could
affect the cost of such technique. Additionally, due to the results of a few studies the thicker
layers raise the chance of bond failure. So in order to decrease the number of required layers,
high modulus CFRP materials with superior stiffness would be a great option. Preliminary
research has indicated that externally bonded CFRP laminates can effectively be used for
short-term strengthening of steel bridges. Hence, its behavior in long term should be cleared.

2.

Background

Use of FRP system for concrete structures has been successful and so its application has been
increased considerably. But using FRP for retrofitting of steel structures has not gained the
same popularity and widespread use as in concrete structures. However, during the present
decade, many researches have been carried out about using FRP materials in strengthening of
steel structures. There are a number of research works on rehabilitation of steel and steelconcrete composite bridges which have shown that the method of CFRP bonding to tension
flange of defected girders is a very effective method, though it is sensitive to debonding
failure mode. Using CFRP for the repair of steel structures began in the mid 90s though
research conducted at the University of North Florida [1] and at the University of Delaware
by [2]. A feasibility study of using CFRP in rehabilitation of steel composite beams has
conducted [1]. Many other researchers [7-8, 15, 17] continued this subject in various aspects.
Nearly, all of these studies have confirmed that the application of CFRP for strengthening of
steel structures is a very effective method but has not been commonly practiced. The
behavior of this system under structural loads in long term is not completely defined yet and
it may be the main reason that civil engineers have not utilized it in real projects. However,
there are a couple of steel bridges which have been strengthened with CFRP. Hythe Bridge in
Axford (Fig.1), Slattocks Canal Bridge (Figs. 2 & 3) and Haversham Bridge are some
successful examples which have been retrofitted with CFRP plates in UK [19].

Fig.1. Hythe Bridge, Axford

Fig.2. Slattocks Canal Bridge

Fig.3. Installation of CFRP plates

Moreover, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA) have sponsored several projects that have led to design guidelines
for bridge repair and have implemented these retrofitting schemes into several projects.
Although there are more than sixty technical reports prepared by NCHRP about using FRP in
strengthening of bridges (concluded reports no. 503, 514, 564, 590 and 609), only a few
studies concern with steel structures; such as Projects IDEA-011 [2] which performed by the

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Mehran GHOLAMI, Abdul Rahman Bin MOHD SAM, Jamaludin bin Mohamad YATIM

University of Delaware. Recently, high modulus CFRP (HM CFRP) materials have become
commercially available but, a few studies reported in the published literature which
investigates the behavior of steel beams, strengthened with HM CFRP [8, 9, 16]. Several
studies have recently been carried out in Malaysia (University of Malaya) about shear
resistance and end anchoring of CFRP strips in steel I-beams and have concluded that this
method is completely effective [17, 18]. Significant attention has been given on strengthening
steel structure with HM CFRP since 2005 in the University of North Carolina [7, 10-14].
They studied various aspects such as bond behavior, flexural strengthening, fatigue and over
loading behavior and finally they prepared a design guideline for using HM strips.
Eventually, in 2008 they finished another research about environmental durability which
represents the behavior of the system evaluated under accelerated tests. They suggested that
the environmental effect should be investigated naturally in the future. Therefore, using
CFRP to strengthen steel structures has been an acceptable method in the field of
rehabilitation of aging structures.

3.

Application of High modulus CFRP

Lately, researches have shown that carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) are considered
to be the most suitable one for the purpose of strengthening of steel structures. Table 1shows
the specification of various types of FRP materials and Fig.4 compares the stress-strain
behavior of steel and FRP materials. Actually, the lower value of modulus of elasticity of
standard modulus (SM) CFRP, in comparison to steel, may result in increasing the number of
layers required to increase the stiffness of the section and consequently could affect the cost
of such technique. Due to the results of a few studies, the thicker layers raise the chance of
bond failure. Therefore, in order to decrease the number of required layers, high modulus
CFRP materials with superior stiffness would be a great option. There are some important
points which should be considered for utilizing HM CFRP plates for steel sections to have
durable strong strengthening [20]. CFRP plates and the adhesive should be stored in a cool,
ventilated place, avoiding direct sunlight. Basically, installation of strips requires a multi-step
approach which all of them are time critical. The strips should be cut to defined length and
have their ends detailed prior to surface preparation of the steel.
Table.1. Specification of various types of FRP
Fiber Type
Carbon
General Purpose
High Strength
Ultra
High
Strength
High Modulus
Ultra
High
Modulus
Glass
E Glass
S Glass
Aramid
General Purpose
High Performance

GPa

Ultimate
Strength
GPa

Rupture strain
minimum
%

220 to 240
220 to 240

2050 to 3790
3790 to 4820

1.2
1.4

220 to 240

4820 to 6200

1.5

340 to 520

1720 to 3100

0.5

520 to 690

1380 to 2400

0.2

69 to 72
86 to 90

1860 to 2680
3440 to 4140

4.5
5.4

69 to 83
110 124

3440 to 4140
3440 to 4140

2.5
1.0

Elastic Modulus

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A Survey on Strengthening Steel Bridges Using CFRP Strips

Fig.4. Stress-strain behavior of steel and FRP materials [7]

As the length of the taper increases, there would be reduction in the stress concentration at
the edge of the plates. It has been found that a taper of 10-20 degrees is easily fabricated with
a mechanical sander in the direction of the fiber (Fig. 5). When all the surfaces are prepared,
the adhesive must be thoroughly mixed, applied to the bonding surfaces and clamped.
Finally, proper protection of the plates must be carried out to prevent against environmental
degradation through processes of galvanic corrosion and ultraviolet exposure.

Fig.5. Reverse tapering and spew fillet

3.1

Surface preparation

Proper surface treatment of metals should produce a rough surface free from contamination
with a fresh, stable oxide that has a favorable chemical composition. Additionally, a rough
surface will have a larger surface area than a smooth one, allowing more area for adsorption
to occur. Surface preparation of the steel enhances the formation of chemical bonds between
the steel and the adhesive. This requires a chemically active surface that is free from
contaminants. Grit blasting is the preferred method of surface abrasion for preparation of
metallic surfaces. Grit blasting (Fig. 6) helps to remove weak layers from the surface of the
adherend and creates a rough, chemically active surface by cutting and deformation of the
base material. Following grit blasting, the surface may be contaminated with fine abrasive
dust which should be removed by brushing, vacuuming or blowing with a clean
uncontaminated air supply. A final solvent cleaning after grit blasting may be completed, but
extreme care must be taken to ensure that liberal amounts of solvent are used, such that
contaminants that are brought into solution drip or flow off the structure and are not merely

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Mehran GHOLAMI, Abdul Rahman Bin MOHD SAM, Jamaludin bin Mohamad YATIM

redistributed when the solvent evaporates. However, some researchers believe that the
solvent cleaning should be avoided. This is due to the assumption that solvent wiping only
partially removes the dust and redistributes the remaining dust. This dust should be removed
by dry wipe or by a vacuum head with brushes (Fig. 7). It is also important to consider that as
short a time as possible be taken between the grit blasting and the initial adhesive or primer
application. Too long of a time between the surface preparation can result in adhesive failure
between the steel and the adhesive. As a guideline, no more than 24 hours should occur
between the time of sandblasting and the time the surface is coated with the adhesion
promoter or adhesive. Several chemical and electrochemical surface preparation techniques
are commonly used to modify the surface chemistry of metals in aerospace and other
industries. The use of a silane coupling agent as a primer for metallic surfaces demonstrates
several distinct advantages that make it well suited for infrastructure applications. The
selection of the silane and the specific mixture parameters should be selected in conjunction
with the silane manufacturer while taking into account the details of the specific application.

Fig.6. Sandblasting steel surface

3.2

Fig.7. Removing the dust

Galvanic Corrosion

To ensure the long-term durability of any CFRP system for strengthening steel structures,
galvanic corrosion between CFRP and the steel substrate must be prevented. The electro
potential difference between steel and carbon is sufficiently large to drive a galvanic current.
To help minimize the occurrence of galvanic corrosion between steel and CFRP materials, an
electrical insulator can be placed between the two materials to break the electrical contact and
prevent the formation of a galvanic current. In the presence of repeated wetting; the bond line
can absorb moisture together with any electrolytic ions present in the environment. These can
allow electrical currents to be established, leading to the formation of galvanic corrosion. By
excluding moisture from the bond line, no electrolytic solutions can bridge between the steel
and the CFRP material, and also the resistance to electric current of the adhesive layer is
ensured. However, the presence of an adhesive layer between the steel and the CFRP material
may provide sufficient electrical insulation to prevent the formation of a galvanic current and
it is not a critical problem.

4.

Durability performance

Flexural behavior, shear resistance, bond characteristics and fatigue behavior are some issues
which have been already noticed considerably through previous researches. However, recent
studies have regarded the durability of this system as it would be an important issue
especially for bridges which are exposed definitely. In fact, CFRP materials are very durable
in most aspects. The durability problems that can be identified are mostly related to the
matrix. The matrix may be damaged by ultra violet radiation. This may also be sensitive to
elevated temperatures. Since CFRP system is still relatively unknown to the practicing civil

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A Survey on Strengthening Steel Bridges Using CFRP Strips

engineer and infrastructure systems planner, there are considerable concerns related to the
durability of these materials, especially as related to their capacity for sustained performance
under harsh and changing environmental conditions under loads. Actually, a thorough real
investigation of long-term performance of steel section reinforced with CFRP plates has not
yet been conducted. Furthermore, the last research conducted [14] recommended that the
performance of strengthening system should be assessed under natural environment
conditions. Actually, they used accelerated environmental exposure tests which consisted of 1
week wet/1 week dry cycles in a 5% NaCl solution at a temperature of 38C during 6 months.
In addition, the specimens were protected from exposure to direct sunlight and rain. They
studied different methods to enhance the bond durability including pre-treating the steel
surface with a silane agent, inserting a glass fiber layer within the adhesive and a combination
of both methods of these protection methods. The results indicate that the use of a silane
coupling agent significantly enhanced the bond durability. While using of the glass fibers did
not improve the durability of the bond. Eventually, they emphasized that natural environment
study should be conducted to quantify the real behavior of the system. Besides,
Transportation Research Board (TRB) has recently defined a research project as a
Research Needs Statements in 2010 which the main goal of the proposed research is to
determine the effectiveness of externally bonded high modulus CFRP laminates for long term
rehabilitation of existing steel structures. This research has not been carried out yet but they
interest to run it soon in the future.
In 2005, Italian National Research Council prepared guidelines for the design and
construction of externally bonded FRP systems for strengthening existing structures. They
introduced a reduction factor to consider environmental effects and long term behavior of the
system through designing. Environmental conditions such as alkaline environment, moisture,
extreme temperature, freeze and thaw cycles, and ultra violet radiation have been considered
and depend on type of fiber and resin the reduction factors have been presented. Table 2
summarizes values to be assigned to the related reduction factor. Additionally, for the steel
members that would be under continuous stress or cyclic loading in a long term, they
suggested another reduction factor 1 presented in Table. 3. Totally, the conversion factor =
a.1 should be considered for both durability and behavior of FRP materials in long term.
Table.2. Environmental reduction factor a for different exposure conditions and FRP systems
Exposure conditions
Internal

External
Aggressive
environment

Type of FRP/resin
Glass/Epoxy
Aramid/Epoxy
Carbon/Epoxy
Glass/Epoxy
Aramid/Epoxy
Carbon/Epoxy
Glass/Epoxy
Aramid/Epoxy
Carbon/Epoxy

a
0.75
0.85
0.95
0.65
0.75
0.85
0.50
0.70
0.85

Table.3. Reduction factor for long term effects

Loading mode
Continuous (Creep and relaxation)
Cyclic (Fatigue)

24

Type of FRP/resin
Glass/Epoxy
Aramid/Epoxy
Carbon/Epoxy
All

1
0.30
0.50
0.80
0.50

Mehran GHOLAMI, Abdul Rahman Bin MOHD SAM, Jamaludin bin Mohamad YATIM

5.

Recent durability study

As mentioned before, previous researches emphasized that it is necessary to perform a natural

study to define the behaviour of the system in long term. Hence, a new study has been
recently started in the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) about durability performance of
this system in natural environment. The main objective of this study is to investigate the
behaviour of steel structures strengthened with CFRP materials under tropical climate which
is a severe natural environment condition. Environmental factors that are often considered
more critical to the long-term performance of external strengthening systems include
moisture, thermal effects and ultraviolet exposure. The expected results at the end of this
research would be the effective of moisture, temperature and UV on bonding resistance and
flexural behaviour of steel specimens strengthened with CFRP in a long term. The study is
divided into three phases: short term experimental tests, long term experimental tests and
analytical model. In short term phase some experimental tests will be done to determine
suitable resins and adhesives for strengthening steel sections with CFRP plates. Basically,
four-point bending standard test would be utilized in this phase. An analytical model would
be utilized to certify the results of these tests. For this purpose proper finite element software
will be used. Actually, steel beams, adhesive and CFRP strips will be modelled and analyzed
through a nonlinear procedure. In long term phase which is really the main part, some other
experimental tests will be carried out. Strengthened specimens will be provided and placed
outside in a natural tropical climate. Double lap shear specimens and I-section steel beam
would be prepared in this phase to study the bonding resistance and flexural behaviour of this
system in a long term exposure under natural environment. Duration of this phase has been
estimated around 18-24 months and some of these specimens would be under sustained load
which cause the results to be more practical.

6.

Conclusions

In conclusion, nearly all of the previous studies have confirmed that the application of CFRP
for strengthening of steel structures is a very effective method but this method has not been a
common practice. The most important issue is durability of this system in the long term under
structural loading and also strong bonding between adhesive, steel and CFRP plates.
Additionally, high initial costs caused civil engineers to have some problems to justify the
application of it. However, this technique would be common in the future definitely because
of its great advantages. There are some important features that should be considered in the
design and installation of CFRP to steel sections. Surface preparation before bonding has the
main role to the durability performance and prevention of galvanic corrosion is also an
important issue which should be considered. In addition, durability of the system under
structural loading and natural environment is important and should be evaluated.

7.

Acknowledgment

The authors are so grateful for support from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and
Civil Engineering Faculty (FKA). The authors would also like to appreciatively acknowledge
support provided through International Doctoral Fellowship (IDF).

8.

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A Survey on Strengthening Steel Bridges Using CFRP Strips

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