Use of CFRP for rehabilitation of steel structures: a review

Abstract

One of the main problems facing steel structures is corrosion which effectively reduces total section area of steel members thus leading to elevated stresses in the corroded area. Moreover, increase in the service load of metallic structures, such as bridges, as a result of civil development can aggravate the problem. The need for economical and fast rehabilitation solutions reflects the importance of using carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) as a repair material. This paper reviews the previous work in this area and shows the structural advantages that can be obtained, along with reducing the cost, through application of CFRP on construction steelworks. A brief conclusion summarizes the benefits and drawbacks of this technique and the paper will serve as a good guide for many engineers who are interested in this topic.