Simplified FE model predicting the bending behaviour of corroded tubular steel members rehabilitated using CFRP

Offshore structural members will be forced to undergo repair and strengthening when either the structural components have degraded critically due to the corrosive marine environment or the structure needs to carry extra loads than they were designed for due to work over demands, heavier equipment or increased environmental loads. Using FRP composites is established as a cost-effective and efficient method for rehabilitation and non-structural repair of these type of structures. However, the use of FRP composite material in strengthening or structural repair of offshore facilities is still limited to a few basic applications due to the lack of a proper design framework. Tubular steel members are widely used in offshore platforms and in this paper, existing experimental test data for the ultimate strength of tubular sections retrofitted with CFRP under bending was used to develop an FE model. The accuracy of the model was examined against the experimental data and a reasonable match was found. The simplified FE modelling technique presented in the paper is expected to aid in the development of a design framework for CFRP retrofitted steel tubular members.