Many reinforced concrete bridges throughout the United States on county and state highway systems are deteriorated andor distressed to such a degree that structural strengthening of the bridge or reducing the allowable thick loading on the bridge by load posting is necessary to extend the service life of the bridge. The structural performance of many of these bridges can be improved through external bonding of fiber-rein- forced plastic (FRP) laminates or plates. This paper describes the rehabilitation of an existing concrete bridge in Alabama through external bonding of FRP plates to the bridge girders. Field load tests were conducted before and after application of the FRP plates, and the response of the bridge to test vehicle loadings was recorded. Results of the field tests are reported, and the effects of the FRP plates on the bridge response are identified. The repaired bridge structure exhibited a decrease in steel reinforcing bar stresses and vertical midspan deflections. These decreases ranged from 4 to 12/100 for various static and dynamic loading cases.
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