Many
bridges are supported on timber piles that have significant deterioration due
to fungal decay of the wood.
A method of repair is proposed to encase the
damaged timber pile in Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) wraps that are
injected with special epoxy mortar. The composite repaired piles need to be tested
to determine their ultimate load capacity under combined shear and flexure.
This paper evaluates the behavior of
extracted repaired timber piles under
lateral loads. Sixteen repaired timber piles are extracted from actual
conditions and tested as cantilever beams. Special experimental setup is
designed to test the piles under flexure and shear. Various types of
measurements such as deflections and strains are measured at different
locations of the pile. Results show that all repairing systems increase the
stiffness and lateral load capacity of existing timber piles (Douglas fir)
regardless of the dimensions of the cross section. The stiffness and lateral
load capacity of the repaired timber pile could be as high as that of the
Greenheart but requires more epoxy mortar thickness.