Experimental Study on Seismic Performance of Precast Columns Repaired with CFRP Fabrics.

Area of Science:

• Civil Engineering
• Structural Engineering
• Earthquake Engineering

Background:

• Reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns are susceptible to seismic damage, potentially leading to collapse and service disruption.
• Rapid repair of damaged RC bridge columns is vital for maintaining transportation networks after earthquakes.
• Existing repair methods may not sufficiently restore structural integrity and seismic performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an improved rapid repair technique for earthquake-damaged precast RC bridge columns.
• To assess the effectiveness of the proposed repair method in restoring the load-bearing and energy dissipation capacities.
• To analyze the seismic performance of repaired columns compared to original, undamaged columns.

Main Methods:

• A cyclic loading test was employed to simulate seismic forces on both original and repaired precast RC columns.
• An improved rapid repair method was applied to damaged columns.
• Performance metrics including bearing capacity, energy dissipation, ductility, and stiffness were measured and compared.

Main Results:

• The repaired RC columns demonstrated an 8% increase in bearing capacity compared to the original columns.
• Energy dissipation capacity of the repaired columns was significantly enhanced, showing a 53% improvement.
• While initial stiffness decreased, the repaired columns exhibited significant stiffness development in later loading stages.

Conclusions:

• The developed rapid repair method is highly effective in restoring the seismic resistance of damaged RC bridge columns.
• The enhanced bearing capacity and energy dissipation highlight the method's potential for post-earthquake infrastructure recovery.
• Further investigation into ductility and long-term performance is warranted, though initial results are promising.