A Seismic Retrofit Design Methodology for R/C Bridge Columns Using Fiber Composites

Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) are attractive materials for seismic upgrading. This paper proposes a design approach for retrofitting reinforced concrete bridge piers with fiber composites in which the nonlinear behavior of the retrofitted column is taken into account. The flexural and shear capacities are investigated and some intuitive conclusions are advanced and utilized in design at the component level. In a multiperformance-based design approach, the capacity spectrum method is utilized to identify the feasibility of using FRP as a retrofit scheme by solving a nonlinear programming problem and then determining the seismic demand. A design example is provided to illustrate the proposed retrofit design procedures.