Details:

Creators:
Grace, Nabil F. ; Bebawy, Mena ; Kasabasic, Marc
Grace, Nabil F. ; Bebawy, Mena ; Kasabasic, Marc Less -
Corporate Creators:
Lawrence Technological University. Dept. of Civil Engineering
Corporate Contributors:
Michigan. Dept. of Transportation. Research Administration
Subject/TRT Terms:
[+]
Evaluation Fiber Reinforced Polymers Flexural Strength Longitudinal Cracking Numerical Analysis Posttensioning Reinforced Concrete Bridges Shear Strength T Beams Ultra High Performance Concrete
Publication/ Report Number:
RC-1620
Resource Type:
Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:
United States
Corporate Publisher:
Lawrence Technological University. Dept. of Civil Engineering
Abstract:
A new corrosion-free decked bulb T beam bridge system has been developed to overcome some of the problems

associated with the construction of side-by-side box beam bridges such as the lack of inspection space between

beams and the longitudinal deck cracking. The new bridge system is reinforced and prestressed with carbon

fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials instead of the conventional steel reinforcement. In addition, the

longitudinal keyways between the top flanges of the beams are grouted using ultra-high performance concrete

(UHPC) instead of conventional non-shrink grout. The top flange of the beams with the UHPC shear key joints

substitutes the need for a cast-in-place deck slab, a technique that saves time and labor at construction site and

ensure the quality control of the product. Through this research project, an experimental investigation and a

numerical analysis were conducted to confirm the superiority of the new system. The experimental investigation

included the flexural and shear testing of five control beams and a complete bridge model as well, while the

numerical analysis was developed, after verification, to evaluate the need for transverse post-tensioning in the

system. Results from the experimental investigation and the numerical study indicated that the flexural and

shear performance of the new bridge system conforms to the theoretical prediction and the UHPC shear key

joints are sufficient to laterally distribute the loads across the bridge width. No signs of longitudinal cracks were

observed over the shear key joints of the bridge model even when loading an exterior beam to twice its load

carrying capacity. In addition, the CFRP reinforcement was proven to be a proper alternative to steel

reinforcement in decked bulb T beams. No premature failure or un-predicable behavior was experienced. The

study also showed that a transverse post-tensioning may not be necessary for the system provided that the shear

key joints are properly constructed using UHPC. Overall, it can be concluded that decked bulb T beam bridge

system with CFRP reinforcement and UHPC shear key joints is an excellent alternative for side-by-side box

beam bridge system that promotes expedited construction, access to inspection, reduced maintenance work, and

an effective approach to eliminate the longitudinal deck cracking problem.


Format:
PDF
Funding:
2010-0293
Collection(s):
US Transportation Collection
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:dbb126e9bc88eb72f60dd5f3014611c3ed74da2b8f7609ea8288e24ba000663a
Download URL:
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/28611/dot_28611_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

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