Strengthening Defected Dam Gates under Cavitation Vibration Using CFRP

Many steel structures are damaged due to environmental factors such as accidental loads, exhaustion, rust, and phenomena such as cavitation and time passes. Dams’ bottom outlets are one of the important components of these structures that are subject to numerous hydraulic problems such as cavitation vibration, which causes damage and needs repair. One of the novelties for refining is the use of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP). In this paper, the effect of CFRP on gate strengthening under cavitation vibration load and the effect of damage on maximum vibration by using ABAQUS were studied. In order to observe the effects of failure on the maximum vibration of the outlet, two damages were applied to the front or back of the gate. Finally, the damaged gates were reinforced with two layers of CFRP. The outcomes showed that damage resulted in maximum vibration increase and polymer fibers has a significant effect on reducing vibrations and stresses caused by cavitation pressure.