Innovative Analytical and Experimental Techniques for Performance Assessment of Deteriorated and Repaired Reinforced Concrete Structures

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In Canada, about one-third of municipal infrastructure with an estimated worth of $388 billion are either in a fair, poor, or very poor condition and require rehabilitation. The infrastructure of most other countries is experiencing the same problem requiring hundreds of billions of dollars for repair. With governments currently facing severe economic constraints, there is a great need for accurate performance assessment tools and effective repair strategies to ensure the safety of existing aging and deteriorated infrastructure. The aim of this research program is to develop and employ innovative analytical and experimental techniques to help engineers gain a better insight into the performance and safety of deteriorated and repaired reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The research program is comprised of two main phases. In the first phase, a novel multi-platform stochastic analysis technique will be developed which is capable of accurately assessing both the local and global performance of large complex deteriorated RC structures, while considering the uncertainty effects due to corrosion. The newly developed method will be employed to assess the performance of both modern and old RC bridge structures. Furthermore, a state-of-the-art laboratory testing method called hybrid simulation will be used to further investigate the system-level behaviour of deteriorated RC bridge structures. By combining the efficiency of computer modelling with the accuracy of laboratory testing, hybrid simulation can effectively capture the system-level performance of structures. The influence of different levels of deterioration and reinforcement ratios in bridge piers will be investigated. The second phase of the research program will focus on the development and evaluation of a new repair strategy for deteriorated structures using textile reinforced concrete (TRC). Building upon the work carried out in phase 1, a series of component-level and system-level (hybrid simulation) tests will be conducted on an RC bridge structure strengthened with TRC. The effectiveness of various TRC strengthening schemes will be evaluated. Lastly, based on the results obtained from the experimental tests, a 3D finite element modelling method will be developed and validated for the analysis of TRC-repaired RC columns under seismic loads. Through this research program, novel performance assessment tools and effective repair strategies will be developed which enable engineers and decision makers to accurately decide which structures require rehabilitation and what would be the most economical and effective repair strategy for them. The findings will benefit Canada in many significant ways such as reducing human and economic loss following extreme events and contributing to sustainable infrastructure development and long-term economic growth by extending the service life of existing aging structures and reducing the generation of greenhouse gases from cement production.