EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL INVESTIGATION OF T-BEAMS USED IN BRIDGES RETROFITTED THROUGH THE EXTERNAL POSTTENSIONING METHOD UTILIZING DIFFERENT FRP REBARS

Abstract

As the global population and economy continue to expand, the demand for various forms of transportation, particularly highways, is rising. Bridges play a crucial role in the highway transportation system, and the design of live loads is continuously increasing to meet community demand. As structural engineers, we prioritize the development of practical, cost-effective, and reliable methods to enhance the strength of bridges, considering the evolving demands of the transportation system. Despite routine traffic and maintenance, several reasons necessitate the strengthening of bridges, including the need to accommodate increased live loads that were not initially accounted for during design and construction. Many existing bridges still fulfill transportation requirements, making strengthening a viable alternative to demolition and reconstruction. One increasingly popular approach is to reinforce bridges with composite materials, particularly fiberreinforced polymers (FRP), which have seen rapid adoption in civil engineering infrastructure due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, minimal thermal expansion, and ease of fabrication, handling, and installation. This study aims to conduct a comparative analytical and experimental analysis of different types of FRP and steel strands to demonstrate the effect of various material properties and compare their flexural performance. The potential impact of this study on transportation infrastructure is considerable.