Behavior of prestressed concrete I-girders strengthened in shear with externally bonded fiber-reinforced-polymer sheets

This paper investigates the behavior of full-scale prestressed concrete girders strengthened in shear with externally bonded carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets. The study is aimed at identifying the failure modes and effects on ultimate bearing capacity associated with the application of CFRP laminates as externally bonded shear reinforcement for prestressed concrete I-girders. A total of 16 full-scale prestressed concrete girder tests are reported. Test parameters include the cross-sectional shape, effects of preexisting damage, CFRP strengthening scheme, different anchorage systems, and transverse steel reinforcement ratio. The test results show that the failure modes are complex and can vary considerably with respect to the test parameters. The test results also show that the application of externally bonded CFRP reinforcement for shear may not yield an increase in the load-carrying capacity of a girder compared with a reference member that is not strengthened with CFRP.