Tensile response of steel/CFRP adhesive bonds for the rehabilitation of civil structures

here is a growing need for the development and implementation of new methods for the rapid and cost-effective rehabilitation of deteriorating steel structural components to offset the drawbacks related to welding and/or bolting in the field. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites provide a potential alternative as externally bonded patches for strengthening and repair of metallic structural members for building and bridge systems. This paper describes results of an investigation of tensile and fatigue response of steel/CFRP joints simulating scenarios of strengthening and crack-patching. It is shown that appropriately designed schemes, even when fabricated with levels of inaccuracy as could be expected in the field, can provide significant strain relief and load transfer capability. A simplified elasto-plastic closed form solution for stress analysis is presented, and validated experimentally. It is shown that the bond development length remains constant in the linear range, whereas it increases as the adhesive is deformed plastically. Fatigue resistance is shown to be at least comparable with the requirements for welded cover plates without attendant decreases in stiffness and strength.