Performance of externally bonded fiber-reinforced polymer retrofits in the 2018 Cook Inlet Earthquake in Anchorage, Alaska

Tatar, J., Sattar, S., Goodwin, D., Milev, S., Ahmed, S., Dukes, J., & Segura, C. (2021). Performance of externally bonded fiber-reinforced polymer retrofits in the 2018 Cook Inlet Earthquake in Anchorage, Alaska. Earthquake Spectra, vol. 37, no. 4, Nov. 2021, pp. 2342–2371.

As part of the effort to improve the seismic performance of buildings in Alaska (AK), many of the deficient structures in Anchorage, AK, were retrofitted—some with externally bonded fiber-reinforced polymer (EBFRP) composite systems. The 2018 magnitude 7.1 Cook Inlet earthquake that impacted the same region offered an opportunity to evaluate the performance of EBFRP retrofits in a relatively high-intensity earthquake. This study summarizes the following findings of this field investigation: (1) the performance of EBFRP-retrofitted structures in the Cook Inlet earthquake and (2) the observations concerning the condition of FRP retrofits from over a decade of exposure in a subarctic environment.