Debond test of steel plate bonded with concrete exposed to harsh environment

This study presents the experimental and theoretical studies on debond of steel bonded to concrete, which aids in understanding the mechanics of the repaired damaged prestressed concrete girders with externally bonded steel plates. The bond strength of bonded steel plate specimen is determined experimentally by the debond test. The initial crack is introduced in the specimens at three different locations, which include the steel/adhesive interface, adhesive through-thickness, and adhesive/concrete interface. Certain debond test specimens are exposed to freeze/thaw and tidal cycles to evaluate the degradation in bond strength resulting from the environmental conditions. The fracture toughness for debonding would be evaluated and expressed as the critical strain energy release rate. A finite element analysis was performed to evaluate the compliance and stress distribution in the debond test specimens. Also, stress distribution of repaired AASHTO prestressed concrete bridge girders with metal sleeve splice was also determined at the interface of steel and concrete.