TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterization of a low-profile fiber-reinforced polymer deck system for moveable bridges
AU - Vyas, Jignesh S.
AU - Zhao, Lei
AU - Ansley, Marcus H.
AU - Xia, Jun
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Moveable bridges in Florida typically use open steel grid decks due to weight limitations. However, these decks present rideability, environmental, and maintenance problems, as they are typically less skid resistant than a solid riding surface, create loud noises, and allow debris to fall through the grids. Replacing open steel grid decks with a lightweight fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) deck can improve rideability and reduce maintenance costs, simultaneously satisfying the strict weight requirement for such bridges. In this investigation, a new low-profile, pultruded FRP deck system successfully passed the preliminary strength and fatigue tests per AASHTO requirements. Two two-span deck specimens were tested, one with the strong direction of the deck placed perpendicular to the supporting girders, whereas the other had a deck placed with 30° skew. This paper also describes a simplified finite-element approach that simulates the load-deformation behavior of the deck system. The results from the finite-element model showed a good correlation with the deflection and strain values measured from the tests.
AB - Moveable bridges in Florida typically use open steel grid decks due to weight limitations. However, these decks present rideability, environmental, and maintenance problems, as they are typically less skid resistant than a solid riding surface, create loud noises, and allow debris to fall through the grids. Replacing open steel grid decks with a lightweight fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) deck can improve rideability and reduce maintenance costs, simultaneously satisfying the strict weight requirement for such bridges. In this investigation, a new low-profile, pultruded FRP deck system successfully passed the preliminary strength and fatigue tests per AASHTO requirements. Two two-span deck specimens were tested, one with the strong direction of the deck placed perpendicular to the supporting girders, whereas the other had a deck placed with 30° skew. This paper also describes a simplified finite-element approach that simulates the load-deformation behavior of the deck system. The results from the finite-element model showed a good correlation with the deflection and strain values measured from the tests.
KW - Bridge decks
KW - Fiber reinforced polymers
KW - Florida
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=58149213695&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0702(2009)14:1(55)
DO - 10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0702(2009)14:1(55)
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:58149213695
SN - 1084-0702
VL - 14
SP - 55
EP - 65
JO - Journal of Bridge Engineering
JF - Journal of Bridge Engineering
IS - 1
ER -