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Hybrid FRP steel jacketing for enhancing the seismic resilience of corroded RC bridge columns in harsh environments: A finite element and experimental study

Abstract:

Corrosion-induced deterioration in reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns significantly compromise structural integrity and seismic performance, posing serious risks in aggressive environmental and seismic-prone regions. This study investigates advanced retrofitting techniques aimed at enhancing the seismic resilience of corroded RC columns through fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wraps, steel jacketing, and a hybrid FRP–steel system. High-fidelity 3D finite element models were developed in ABAQUS, incorporating nonlinear material behavior, corrosion degradation, and detailed bond–slip considerations. The modeling framework was validated against experimental results under both axial and cyclic lateral loading to ensure accurate simulation of strength, ductility, hysteretic energy dissipation, and failure modes. Representative near-field and far-field seismic records, covering a broad spectral range, were employed to assess sensitivity of retrofit performance to ground motions with different spectral characteristics. Results demonstrate that while FRP wrapping enhances corrosion resistance and moderately improves ductility, steel jacketing provides superior confinement and energy dissipation. The hybrid FRP–steel jacketing system exhibited the most balanced performance, achieving up to a 95.2 % increase in lateral strength, improved ductility, and delayed onset of failure. Importantly, the staged corrosion modeling approach captured reductions in reinforcement area, mechanical strength, and bond deterioration, realistically reproducing the shift from brittle shear failures to more controlled flexural mechanisms. Although the current models assumed perfect FRP–concrete bonding, future work should incorporate interface debonding and time-dependent corrosion effects to further enhance predictive accuracy. The novelty of this work lies in simultaneously modeling corrosion degradation and seismic response within a single high-fidelity framework, and in evaluating hybrid FRP–steel jacketing as a resilience-oriented retrofit solution. Unlike previous studies that investigated corrosion or seismic retrofitting separately, this study integrates both effects to provide practical guidelines for extending service life in aggressive and seismic-prone environments.