Columns supporting bridge structures may be expected to respond inelastically during strong earthquake shaking. Restoration to serviceable conditions may require repair or replacement of damaged regions, which may entail considerable cost and operational delay. To evaluate the feasibility of available repair techniques, an experimental study to evaluate repair techniques for damaged bridge columns was undertaken. The original columns were reinforced with spirals conforming to modern bridge requirements for regions of high seismic risk. Three of the test columns were severely damaged; the fourth column was moderately damaged. Repairs for the severely damaged columns used headed reinforcement, mechanical couplers, and newly cast concrete. The moderately damaged column was repaired by cover replacement and epoxy injection. The success of each scheme was evaluated by comparing the behavior of the repaired column with that of the original column as well as the repair intent.

Document Name:	98-S24
Author(s):	Dawn E. Lehman, Sharon E. Gookin, Adrian M. Nacamuli, and Jack P. Moehle
Publication:	Structural Journal
Volume:	98
Issue:	2
Keywords:	bridges; columns (supports); damage; repair
Date:	March 1, 2001