The West Gate Bridge: Strengthening of a 20Th Century Bridge for 21St Century Loading
72-1 THE WEST GATE BRIDGE: STRENGTHENING OF A 20TH CENTURY BRIDGE FOR 21ST CENTURY LOADING G. Williams, R. Al-Mahaidi and R. Kalfat Synopsis: Retrofitting of existing concrete structures and civil infrastructure has become necessary due to environmental degradation, changes in usage and heavier loading conditions. The use of advanced carbon fiber composite materials (CFRP) as externally bonded reinforcement has found wide application in recent years and has proven to be an effective method of improving the structural performance of existing structures. A good example of this is the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne, Australia for which the following case study is presented. Key innovations in CFRP technology developed specifically for this project have been described in the areas of design and testing of CFRP anchorage technology, involving the utilization of unidirectional and bidirectional fabrics together with mechanical substrate strengthening. These have all resulted in increases in material utilizations and enabled successful transfer of combined shear and torsional forces. Key aspects of the detailing, application, quality control and monitoring program adopted in the project are also presented along with the key aspects which resulted in the successful execution of this world class project. Key words: West Gate Bridge, CFRP, anchorage, concrete box girder, quality control, application, strengthening. 72-2 Williams et al. Grahme Williams is a practicing bridge engineer working for Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) in Melbourne, Australia. His particular area of interest is in the use of CFRP strengthening systems having been involved with a range of activities including laboratory investigations, field monitoring of repaired structures, design and optimization of systems and application to in-service bridges.
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