Steel-Free Concrete Bridge Decks

Details

• Creators:
  Acharya, Arnav ; Najaf, Erfan ; Davids, William ; Landis, Eric
• Corporate Creators:
  University of Maine. Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center (TIDC)
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Basalt Basalt Minibars Cracking Durability Fiber Reinforced Concrete Fiber Reinforced Polymers Flexural Strength Glass Fibers High Performance Concrete Shrinkage Structural Analysis

  More +
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report
• Corporate Publisher:
  University of Maine. Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center (TIDC)
• Abstract:
  This report investigates the development and structural performance of steel-free concrete bridge decks as a solution to reinforcement corrosion in cold-climate infrastructure. The study evaluates the integration of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (BFRC) and Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) rebars through a two-phase experimental approach. Phase I focuses on mix design optimization, analyzing the effects of basalt fiber volumetric fractions (0% to 1.2%) on workability and mechanical properties. Results indicate that while a 1.0% fiber content increases flexural capacity by 40% and reduces shrinkage by up to 21%, a threshold of 0.5% is critical for maintaining field-appropriate workability. Phase II examines the synergy between the optimized BFRC mix and GFRP rebars. Four-point bending tests demonstrate that adding GFRP reinforcement to BFRC increases flexural strength by up to 272% compared to unreinforced specimens. Furthermore, the inclusion of fibers effectively mitigates the brittle failure typically associated with GFRP, enhancing post-cracking ductility and crack distribution. The findings suggest that a hybrid BFRC-GFRP system provides a durable, high-performance, and corrosion-resistant alternative to traditional steel-reinforced concrete for bridge deck applications.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  69A3551847101
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d18568b50eb71927e07973ed29c88bf2d6392ae053f4d26c98747d5a6495ca62d1be175b31e427d49e7b1cdb81697e46130cfcbefbac96ed603abf959bc7b4c6
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/88855/dot_88855_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.84 MB ]