Cyclic Loading Tests on Seismic Retrofit of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Pier with Embedded Seismic Retrofit Rebar and Aramid Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Sheets Jacketing

Cyclic loading tests on the reinforced concrete bridge pier model were conducted to clarify the effect of seismic retrofit in the case of applying the proposed method, in which the seismic retrofit rebars were embedded into the surfaces of the pier and jacketed them with AFRP sheets. From this study, the following results were obtained: (1) lateral load-carrying capacities of the piers were increased by applying the proposed method; (2) the capacities were abruptly decreased due to low cycle fatigue fracture of seismic retrofit rebar; (3) a seismic retrofit design method applying an additional rebar may be used to restrain the low-cycle fatigue fracture of the rebar; however (4), the buckling length of the rebar must be predicted accurately.