The use of heavier trucks demanded shear strengthening of a twenty-seven year old bridge in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Shear strengthening of the prestressed concrete girders using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) sheets provides a low-cost solution by increasing the speed of construction and reducing traffic interruption when compared with conventional methods. Due to a lack of information on the use of CFRP sheets for shear strengthening of I-shaped concrete AASHTO girders, an experimental program has been undertaken at the University of Manitoba. Four ten meter long scale model prestressed concrete girders have been tested to failure at both ends, using six configurations for three types of CFRP. The contribution of the CFRP sheets to the enhanced shear capacity of the girder has been examined with emphasis on the effect of this particular girder shape.
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