Abstract
The design and construction of bridge systems with long-term durability and low maintenance requirements is a significant challenge for bridge engineers. One possible solution to this challenge could be through the use of new materials, e.g., fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, with traditional materials that are arranged as an innovative hybrid structural system where the FRP serves as a load-carrying constituent and a protective cover for the concrete. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation designed to evaluate the performance of a 3/4 scale hybrid FRP-concrete (HFRPC) bridge deck and composite connection under sustained and repeated (fatigue) loading. In addition, following the sustained-load and fatigue portions of the experimental study, destructive testing was performed to determine the first strength-based limit state of the hybrid deck. Results from the sustained-load and fatigue testing suggest that the HFRPC deck system might be a viable alternative to traditional cast-in-place reinforced concrete decks showing no global creep behavior and no degradation in stiffness or composite action between the deck and steel girders after 2 million cycles of dynamic loading with a peak load of 1.26 times the scaled tandem load (TL). Furthermore, the ultimate strength test showed that the deck failed prior to the global superstructure at a load approximately six times the scaled TL.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 856-864 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of Composites for Construction |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 1 2010 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Ceramics and Composites
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Building and Construction
- Mechanics of Materials
- Mechanical Engineering