Strengthening of Non-Prismatic Concrete Bridge Piers Using Carbon, Glass, and Aramid FRP Under Lateral Loading

Authors

  • Reza Roygar * Structural Supervisor, Member of the Construction Engineering Organization (CEO) of Mazandaran Province, Iran.
  • Rahmat Madandoust Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.48314/jcase.v3i1.78

Abstract

Bridges are vital lifelines, and their seismic performance is critical. Many existing Reinforced Concrete (RC) bridges, especially those with non-prismatic columns, suffer from insufficient lateral strength and ductility due to outdated design codes or environmental degradation. This study investigates the effectiveness of three types of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) — Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP), and Aramid Fiber Reinforced Polymer (AFRP) — in strengthening non-prismatic RC bridge piers under lateral loading. Using the nonlinear finite element method in ABAQUS (pushover analysis), four models were analyzed: Unstrengthened, and strengthened with CFRP, AFRP, and GFRP. Results show that CFRP wrapping provided the highest increase in ultimate strength (67%), energy dissipation (65%), and stiffness (34%), albeit with a 21% reduction in ductility. AFRP and GFRP also showed significant improvements. The study confirms that FRP wrapping is a highly effective retrofitting technique for non-prismatic bridge piers, with CFRP being the most efficient.        

Keywords:

Non-prismatic bridge pier, Fiber reinforced polymer, Carbon fiber reinforced polymer, Glass fiber reinforced polymer, Aramid fiber reinforced polymer, Lateral loading, Seismic retrofit, Pushover analysis

References

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Published

2025-03-28

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): Journal of Civil Aspects and Structural Engineering

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Roygar, R., & Madandoust, R. (2025). Strengthening of Non-Prismatic Concrete Bridge Piers Using Carbon, Glass, and Aramid FRP Under Lateral Loading. Journal of Civil Aspects and Structural Engineering, 3(1), 66-75. https://doi.org/10.48314/jcase.v3i1.78

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