Development and Evaluation of an Adhesively Bonded Panel-to-Panel Joint for a FRP Bridge Deck System
Publication: Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 12, Issue 2
Abstract
A fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite cellular deck system was used to rehabilitate a historical cast iron thru-truss structure (Hawthorne St. Bridge in Covington, Va.). The most important characteristic of this application is reduction in self-weight, which raises the live load-carrying capacity of the bridge by replacing the existing concrete deck with a FRP deck. This bridge is designed to HL-93 load and has a clear span with a roadway width of . The panel-to-panel connections were accomplished using full width, adhesively (structural urethane adhesive) bonded tongue and groove splices with scarfed edges. To ensure proper construction, serviceability, and strength of the splice, a full-scale two-bay section of the bridge with three adhesively bonded panel-to-panel connections was constructed and tested in the Structures Laboratory at Virginia Tech. Test results showed that no crack initiated in the joints under service load and no significant change in stiffness or strength of the joint occurred after 3,000,000 cycles of fatigue loading. The proposed adhesive bonding technique was installed in the bridge in August 2006.
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Acknowledgments
The writers gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHwA) Innovative Bridge Research And Construction Program and the technical and financial support of the Virginia Transportation Research Council (Contract No. UNSPECIFIEDVTRC-MOA-03-010) and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). The continued support of Strongwell Corporation, Bristol, Va. for the application of FRP composites in bridges is greatly appreciated. The writers would also like to extend special thanks to Mr. Paul Pine of Ashland Chemicals for providing polyurethane adhesive.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 12 • Issue 2 • April 2008
Pages: 224 - 233
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Dec 5, 2006
Accepted: Feb 28, 2007
Published online: Apr 1, 2008
Published in print: Apr 2008
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