Fracture and Fatigue Strength of Slabs Repaired with D-RAP Method

Abstract

Reinforced concrete (RC) slabs on the steel girders of old highway bridges occasionally get damaged. Various repair methods for damaged deck slabs have been developed and adopted on site. A new method for repairing damaged RC slabs, deck restoration by adhesive panels (D-RAP), was developed, in which double layered prefabricated panels are glued on the top surface of the concrete by means of epoxy resin mortar. It is not clear how the system behaves under static and dynamic load. Various tests were performed on the mechanical behavior of beams and slabs reinforced by this method. Fatigue tests of full-scale model slabs were also carried out on two alternative points. It was found that the D-RAP method increased the load-carrying capacity and fatigue strength up to the level of newly constructed slabs. The test results show that the D-RAP method is an effective reinforcing method for deteriorated slabs.