Seismic Repair of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Columns: Review of Research Findings

Repair has become a viable option for restoring the use of earthquake-damaged RC elements, even those that have been severely damaged. To select and design an appropriate repair system for damaged RC bridge columns, it is important that results from previous studies are known. This paper presents a comprehensive summary and review of techniques to repair earthquake-damaged RC bridge columns, as well as numerical methods for analyzing the response of repaired columns. Repair of columns with and without fractured longitudinal reinforcing bars is discussed. Studies are reviewed in terms of the apparent damage, repair technique, and performance of the repair. Advantages and disadvantages associated with each repair technique are discussed.