I-95 in Jacksonville, FL

The Problem

The bridge, located on I-95 south of Jacksonville, Florida, consists of five simple spans supporting six lanes of traffic and was designed for AASHTO HS-20 loading. Due to highway geometry, the structure had extensions of the primary pier caps to support the bridge girders.

During routine inspection of the bridge, severe shear cracking was discovered in two pier caps supporting the main span. These cracks extended from the face of the column to the top of the cap.

Analysis of the pier caps revealed a flaw in the original design that resulted in deficient shear capacity. Also, the detailing of reinforcing steel was improper.

The pier caps were instrumented with crack gages and continuously monitored for three months to determine the amount of crack width increase. At the end of the three month period it was determined that the crack widths were growing at an alarming rate.

The type of cracks, level of loading and the location of the bridge created an emergency situation. Conventional repair methods were considered to be undesirable for aesthetic reasons and high cost


View of Pier Cap with Shear Cracking Damage

The option of using advanced composite materials was determined to be feasible. The MAS2000 Fiber Wrap System was considered to be the best option to remedy the situation.

The repair solution was to strengthen the caps through the use of confining action. A confining collar composed of carbon composite laminates was designed to restore the strength of the caps.

The Solution

The damaged pier caps were analyzed to determine the actual shear capacity and the level of structural deficiency. The results of the analysis were used to design the optimum restoration solution.

Prior to applying the composite materials, surfaces of the pier caps were prepared according to SDR specifications. Specially designed composite laminates were then applied to the concrete and wrapped around the entire section to form a composite confining collar.

The repair procedure was completed within three days without disturbance to traffic on I-95. All work was performed at night between the hours of 12:00 and 4:00 AM in order to minimize the impact of closing two lanes of traffic.

The original appearance of the structure was restored and enhanced by painting the laminates with a specially designed ultraviolet (UV) coating.

Load testing and inspection proved the structure to be sound and the original load rating was maintained. The repair procedure was completed in the summer of 1995. Periodic inspections of the bridge since the repair reveal no signs of distress or deterioration

The MAS2000 Fiber Wrap System proved to be economical, quick and easy to apply.


Application of MAS2000 Fiber Wrap System