Field Investigation on the First Bridge Deck Slab Reinforced with Glass FRP Bars Constructed in Canada
Publication: Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 9, Issue 6
Abstract
Recently, there has been a rapid increase in using noncorrosive fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) reinforcing bars as alternative reinforcement for bridge deck slabs, especially those in harsh environments. A new two-span girder type bridge, Cookshire-Eaton Bridge (located in the municipality of Cookshire, Quebec, Canada), was constructed with a total length of 52.08 m over two equal spans. The deck was a 200-mm-thick concrete slab continuous over four spans of 2.70 m between girders with an overhang of 1.40 m on each side. One full span of the bridge was totally reinforced using glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars, while the other span was reinforced with galvanized steel bars. The bridge deck was well instrumented at critical locations for internal temperature and strain data collection using fiber optic sensors. The bridge was tested for service performance using calibrated truckloads as specified by the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code. The construction procedure and field test results under actual service conditions revealed that GFRP rebar provides very competitive performance in comparison to steel.
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Acknowledgments
The writers wish to extend special thanks to the following organizations for their contribution to this project: The Ministry of Transportation of Quebec (Quebec City, Quebec): bridge owner; Le Groupe Teknika Inc. (Sherbrooke, Quebec): project consultant; Pultrall Inc., Division of ADS Composites Group (Thetford Mines, Quebec): supplier of the composite FRP reinforcing bars; and Roctest Ltd. (St. Lambert, Quebec): supplier of the fiber-optic sensors and its data-acquisition system. The Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) (Ottawa, Ontario), ISIS-Canada (Network of Centres of Excellence) (Winnipeg, Manitoba), and the Fonds Québécois de Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies (FQRNT) (Québec, Canada) are gratefully acknowledged for their partial funding.
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© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 10, 2005
Accepted: Apr 21, 2005
Published online: Dec 1, 2005
Published in print: Dec 2005
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