Abstract
This study investigates the behavior of ultrahigh-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) joints between precast concrete panels reinforced with glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars that are being used in the first cable-stayed bridge in northwest Ontario, Canada (Nipigon, Nipigon River Bridge). The test panels, which simulated the deck panels of the Nipigon River Bridge, were fabricated at the same precast facility in Ontario and delivered to the University of Sherbrooke for flexural testing until failure. The test matrix included eight panels measuring 3,000 mm long × 1,000 mm wide × 220 mm thick. The tests included three reference specimens without structural joints (one reinforced with steel bars and two reinforced with GFRP bars) and five jointed specimens (one reinforced with steel bars and four reinforced with GFRP bars). The structural joint width was a constant 220 mm for all jointed specimens. The specimens were tested in a cantilever-panel setup with the UHPFRC joint subjected to the maximum negative moment and shear load. The experimental results are presented and analyzed considering the cracking pattern, reinforcement strains, and the load–deflection response to investigate the performance of UHPFRC joints. The experimental shear strength was compared with the predicted values using the available bridge code provisions. The tested joints showed adequate strength and performance, and the failure occurred in the spliced concrete panels. The tested UHPFRC joints maintained the continuity and made the adjoining panels act monolithically.
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Acknowledgments
This research was conducted with funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Research Chair in Innovative FRP Reinforcement for Concrete Infrastructure, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (Northwestern Region Structure Division). The authors express their gratitude and sincere appreciation to MCON Pipe & Products Inc. (Ayr, Ontario, Canada) for the fabrication of the precast laboratory panel prototypes and for casting the joints. We are further grateful to the technical staff of the new Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) structural lab in the University of Sherbrooke's Department of Civil Engineering.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 21 • Issue 11 • November 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 19, 2015
Accepted: Mar 29, 2016
Published online: May 19, 2016
Discussion open until: Oct 19, 2016
Published in print: Nov 1, 2016
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