Abstract
While inspection methods and codification of damages have been in use for a long time for conventional steel and reinforced concrete bridges, standardized and unified methodology or guide for inspection and damage detection of concrete elements reinforced or strengthened with FRP does not exist. Despite many advantages provided by Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP), there have been issues and concerns associated with its use. This included some unique problems for each system in addition to possible damages and defects that include debonding, delamination, and aging from UV exposure. Lack of clear guidelines and effective methods for condition assessment of FRP reinforced/strengthened concrete (FRP-RSC) elements has noticeably dampened the proliferation of its use. Bridge owners are not comfortable with products whose condition cannot be effectively assessed and proper maintenance implemented. This study provides a unified inspection methodology tailored and enhanced specifically for FRP-RSC elements. Accordingly, this study first introduces damages and anomalies attributed to FRP-RSC bridge elements, and then investigates the application of state-of-the-art nondestructive testing (NDT) for their detection. The results of this study are expected to provide the inspection community with more clarity in the application of NDT to FRP reinforced/strengthened concrete elements. Availability of such means and methods will have exponential effects in increasing the use of FRP in civil structures.