A Review of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer-Strengthened Steel Plate Techniques

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)-strengthened steel plate systems demonstrate remarkable advantages in civil engineering structural rehabilitation, with their overall performance critically reliant on the interfacial bond behavior between CFRP and steel plates. This paper systematically reviews the typical failure modes, key factors influencing interfacial bond performance, and corresponding testing methodologies. Research indicates that interfacial shear stress dominates the failure process. Enhanced strengthening efficacy can be achieved by employing CFRP plates with optimized adhesive layer thickness (recommended 0.5–1.5 mm) and double-sided bonding configurations. Concurrently, substrate surface treatment and environmental factors (temperature–humidity, corrosion, etc.) significantly affect interfacial bond performance. Current research primarily focuses on the single-factor and strength failure performance of standard specimens, lacking a systematic understanding of the long-term durability and failure mechanisms of complex structures under multi-field coupling effects. This review further summarizes the distinctive features and application scenarios of innovative strengthening systems—including prestressed, unbonded, and shape memory alloy composite systems—to provide guidance for engineering selection and standardized design.