Aging and overburdened infrastructure are increasingly becoming a threat to public safety, economy and quality of life. Steel Structures comprise a large portion of the existing infrastructure worldwide. Corrosion, fatigue, vehicle-caused accidental damage, and lack of proper maintenance can potentially cause major problems in steel structures and bridges. In other cases, steel bridges may need upgrading due to increased traffic volumes. In most cases, the cost of retrofitting is far less than the cost of replacement. The need for adopting durable materials and cost-effective retrofit techniques is evident. The superior mechanical and physical properties of FRP materials make them quite promising for both repair and strengthening applications. They also have a minimum visual impact on aesthetic appearance and almost no effect on clearances underneath the retrofitted girders. In this research program, the structural performance of different steel elements retrofitted using FRP material is investigated.

Research Team

1. Amr Shaat
2. Eid Abdallah

Related Journal Publication List

1. “CFRP-Strengthened HSS Columns Subject to Eccentric Loading” Sayed-Ahmed, E., Shaat, A. and Abdallah, E. (2018) Journal of Composites for Construction, (ASCE), 22(4): 1-14.
2. “Upgrading Steel-Concrete Composite Girders and Repair of Damaged Steel Beams using Bonded CFRP Laminates.” Fam, A., MacDougall, C. and Shaat, A. (2009) Journal of Thin-Walled Structures (Special Issue – FRP Strengthened Metallic Structures) V. 47(10): 1122-1135.
3. “Slender Steel Columns Strengthened using High Modulus CFRP Plates for Overall Buckling Control.” Shaat, A. and Fam, A. (2009) Journal of Composites for Construction, ASCE, V. 13(1): 2-12.
4. “Repair of Cracked Steel Girders Connected to Concrete Slabs using Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Sheets.” Shaat, A. and Fam, A. (2008) Journal of Composites for Construction, ASCE, V. 12(6): 650-659.
5. “Finite Element Analysis of Slender HSS Columns Strengthened with High Modulus Composites.” Shaat, A. and Fam, A. (2007) Journal of Steel & Composite Structures. V. 7(1): 19-34.
6. “Fiber-Element Model for Slender HSS Columns Retrofitted with Bonded High Modulus Composites.” Shaat, A. and Fam, A. (2007) Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, V. 133(1): 85-95.
7. “Axial Loading Tests on Short and Long Hollow Structural Steel Columns Retrofitted using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers.” Shaat, A. and Fam, A. (2006) Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, (Special Issue on Steel Research), V. 33(4): 458-470.