Definition and assessment of an adhesively bonded composite reinforcement in fatigue for steel structures developped in Fasstbridge project

One of the aims of Infravation project called FASSTbridge (Fast and effective Solution for the Strengthening of existing steel bridges) is to develop a specific reinforcement system dedicated to the preventive fatigue reinforcement of steel bridges. The proposed system relies on the use of an adhesively bonded composite plate. The adhesive has been specifically formulated by Collanti Concorde within the project to respect the required fulfillments of the studied application. It is combined with a commercially available composite plate. The communication will first give insight of the required properties of the adhesive, the composite plate, and the overall system for the considered application. Based on these requirements and existing literature and standards on the topic, the chosen experimental plan will be described. It includes investigations on the adhesive before curing, the adhesive after curing, the composite plate, and the whole reinforcing system. Both short term and durability investigations were carried out by the different partners implied within the projects. The obtained results will be presented, and allowed verifying the system properties. The participation of different partners to the experimental campaign also gives insight of the encountered dispersion, and allowed studying different parameters that may affect the capacities. The reinforcement system has been applied on a real bridge in Spain.