Title: Lateral capacity and repair of corrosion-damaged pile bents, part 2: Numeric modeling for strength restoration
Date Published: July - August 2025
Volume: 70
Issue: 4
Page Numbers: 19 - 34
Authors: Gray Mullins, Rajan Sen, Michael Stokes, and Joseph Scott
https://doi.org/10.15554/pcij70.4-03
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Abstract
Pile bents are simple, relatively inexpensive piers
where typically four or more piles are driven in a line
and tied together with a pile cap/beam. For overwater
bridges, the bending moment in piles caused by lateral
loads and the unsupported pile length often controls the
design. Corrosion damage of piles in the splash zone
has been shown to drastically reduce lateral capacity
and ductility. This reduction in pile bending resistance
can go undetected under day-to-day service loads until
an extreme lateral-load event occurs. This is the second
of three papers that highlight the effects of corrosion
damage on bridge pile bents. The first identified the
magnitude of lateral capacity loss from corrosion. This
paper outlines numerical modeling efforts aimed at
accurately assessing the degree of capacity loss from
corrosion damage and recommends suitable carbon-fiber-
reinforced polymer (CFRP) repair schemes. The
final paper covers the verification testing of a severely
corroded pile bent repaired with CFRP.