Contrary to military or essential government buildings, most bridges are designed without any consideration for blast resistance. Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) can provide an effective means for strengthening of critical bridges against such loading. This study has focused on the effectiveness of FRP retrofi tting in the dynamic response of reinforced concrete bridge columns under blast loading. Using a simplifi ed equivalent I-section with a virtual material lumped at the two fl anges; a lightly meshed uniaxial fi nite element model was developed and successfully validated against previous studies. The proposed model was then used for a thorough parametric study on the blast resistance of bridge substructures in the form of a single-column, two-column pier frame, and an entire bridge. The study showed the benefi ts of strengthening with composites against blast loading. The FRP tensile strength and diameter-to-thickness ratio, steel reinforcement ratio, and column length and damping ratio significantly affect the blast resistance of an FRP-retrofi tted bridge. Finally, based on the parametric study results, predictive equations with multiple linear regression and high order terms were developed statistically for the FRP retrofi t design of single columns against blast loading. Keywords: Blast, bridges, concrete, fi ber-reinforced polymer (FRP), fi nite element modeling, retrofi t. INTRODUCTIONIn the face of terrorist attacks on landmark buildings and threats against vital lifeline bridges, security of transportation arteries is of grave concern. Contrary to military or essential government buildings, most bridges are designed without any consideration for blast resistance [1,2]. Crucial bridge components such as reinforced concrete (RC) girders and columns are vulnerable to large blast loads from close-by explosions, leading to progressive span collapse or catastrophic shearing off of columns. Therefore, it is imperative to develop techniques to harden critical bridges against potential blast loading.The use of fi ber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) for retrofi tting of RC buildings to resist explosions has gained interest since the Oklahoma City bombing [3,4]. FRP wraps can confi ne RC columns susceptible to shearing off by blast impulse, enhance their capacity, and limit their lateral defl ections. The use of FRP sleeves or tubes in new columns and piles has also proven effective under impact and seismic loads [5][6][7]. A number of studies have assessed the effect of FRP retrofi tting on the dynamic response of RC structures. Elsanadedy et al. studied the effect of carbon (C) FRP retrofi tting on the blast resistance of RC circular columns [8]. Their results showed that CFRP retrofi tting can signifi cantly decrease the blast damage and maximum lateral defl ection experienced by RC columns under explosions. Crawford et al. developed a design procedure for using steel jackets and FRP wraps to improve the survivability of RC columns under blast loading [9]. Williamson and Winget discussed the potential e...
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