Effect of pre-installed corrosion on steel plate-CFRP bond characteristics

This paper presents an experimental study on the behavior and load carrying capacity of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)-steel bonded joints with different levels of corrosion damage. The effects of adhesive thickness and corrosion damage in steel plates on CFRP-steel bond characteristics were evaluated using double-strap joint specimens. The experimental results indicated that the surface roughness associated with corrosion damage prior to an installation of the strengthening system initiated interlaminar failure in the CFRP plate. This effect was more pronounced in the specimens with high severity of corrosion damage and thick adhesive layer. The ultimate load of the specimens with corroded steel plates was higher than that of the specimens without damage due to mechanical interlocking. The applicability of available theoretical models on the effective bond length and load capacity calculations was evaluated for the strengthened system with corrosion damage.