Bridge decks of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP): A sustainable solution

Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge decks have become an interesting alternative and they have attracted increasing attention for applications in the refurbishment of existing bridges and the construction of new bridges. The benefits brought by lightweight, high-strength FRP materials to these applications are well recognised. However, the sustainability of bridge concepts incorporating FRP decks still needs to be demonstrated and verified. The aim of this paper is to bridge this knowledge gap by examining the sustainability of these FRP solutions in comparison with traditional bridge concepts. An existing composite (steel–concrete) bridge with a concrete deck that had deteriorated was selected for this purpose. Two scenarios are studied and analysed; the total replacement of the entire bridge superstructure and the replacement of the concrete deck with a new deck made of GFRP. The analyses prove that FRP decks contribute to potential cost savings over the life cycle of bridges and a reduced environmental impact

Load-Deflection Behaviour of Frp Concrete Composite Deck

Nowadays, Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) concrete composite bridge deck system hasbeen introduced because of its light-weight and durability. Strong composition is neededbetween FRP and concrete to acquire the structural composite behavior of FRP concretecomposite deck. FRP has unique properties that, if disregarded, can lead to failure duringoperation. However, when these same unique properties are taken into advantages, they canprovide the engineers with a system superior to traditional metallic materials. This studyinvestigates analytically the deflection behavior of FRP concrete composite deck using shearconnectors under flexural loading. Finite element software (LUSAS) is used to model FRPcomposite deck. For this purpose, LUSAS has introduced some elements. Volume elementsare utilized to model concrete and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) section. Meshingelements are necessary in finite element in order to act as a member in modeling. 3D solidcontinuum elements are used to mesh the sample. Five GFRP module having differentthicknesses of 8mm, 9.6mm, 11.2mm, 12.8mm and 16mm are taken to analyze. Results showthat the thicknesses of GFRP module have significant effect on the ultimate load anddeflection of the deck. Once the thickness of GFRP section increased, the deflection at midspan decreased and the ultimate load increased accordingly. Furthermore, results revealed theappropriate interface material between FRP and concrete in finite element modeling. In orderto get an effective interface element, about 40 numerical models have been analyzed. Theresults were compared with experimental study. Inserted data for verified model in LUSASwere demonstrated as an appropriate interface element between FRP and concrete

Smart FRP Composite Sandwich Bridge Decks in Cold Regions

INE/AUTC 12.0

Developing people capabilities for the promotion of sustainability in facility management practices

Sustainability is becoming an integral part of the life-cycle development of built facilities. It is increasingly highlighted during the post construction phase, as facility management personnel can have major influence to the sustainability agenda through operational and strategic management functions. Sustainable practices in facility management can bring substantial benefits such as reducing energy consumption and waste, while increasing productivity, financial return and corporate standing in the community. Despite the potential, facility managers have yet to embrace sustainability ideas holistically and implement them in their operation. The lack of capabilities and skills coupled with knowledge gaps are among the barriers. In the developmental context, capabilities are vital to foster the competency of an organisation. Facility managers need to be empowered with the necessary knowledge, capabilities and skills to support sustainability. This research investigates the potential people capabilities factors that can assist in the implementation of sustainability agenda in facility management practices. Through questionnaire survey, twenty three critical people capability factors were identified and encapsulated into a conceptual framework. The critical factors were separated into four categories of strategic capabilities, anticipatory capabilities, interpersonal capabilities and system thinking capabilities. Pair-wise comparison and Interpretive Structural Modelling techniques were then used to further explore the interrelationship and influence of each critical factor. An interpretive structural model for people capability was developed to identify the priority of critical factors and provide a hierarchical structure to guide facility managers for appropriate actions. The research concludes with three case-studies of professional facility management practices to finalise the developed people capabilities framework and interpretive structural model. Through the identification and integration of different perceptions and priority needs of the stakeholders, a set of guidelines for action and potential effects of each people capability factor were brought forward for the industry to promote sustainability endeavour in facility management practices

Tire chain damage on bridge deck wearing surfaces

Master's Project (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2017A light weight, durable, and damage-resistant material is needed as a wearing surface replacement for a two-lane bridge deck that is on a 6% grade. The wearing surface to be replaced is 9.2-m wide and is attached to an orthotropic closed cell steel deck that supported by two 155.9-cm wide by 414.0-cm deep steel box girders. This is a 699.5-m long six span bridge over the Yukon River located near the Arctic Circle on the gravel road section of the Dalton Highway. The bridge is located approximately 80 km north of Fairbanks, Alaska. The structure was designed in the early 1970's with a 127-mm two-layer timber deck wearing surface. Since then, the timber deck wearing surface has been replaced in 1981, 1992, 1999, and 2007. Future decking material may be composites. Factors to be considered in the selection of a new decking material include: thermal cracking, abrasion, durability, flexural strain, traction, weight, and fastening methods to the steel deck. Moreover, the material must retain its structural properties in temperatures that range from -50C to 40C. For a majority of the year, the driving surface is covered with ice and snow. Because of the steep grade, trucks typically use tire chains during the winter. These tire chains damage the current timber wearing surface and are a major factor in its deterioration. Further, the more traffic the less traction. Owing to the damage tire chains cause on the current timber wearing surface, other wearing surface materials are being considered. The purpose of this project was to evaluate possible wearing surface in the laboratory for punching shear, structural strain, modulus, traction, and resistance to tire chains. In this paper, preliminary test results for traction, and wear by tire chains are presented. This is an updated version of a paper that was first presented at ISCORD 2007, Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Cold Region Development, Tampere, Finland, September 25-27, 2007, with co-author, J. Leroy Hulsey

Elastic analysis of adhesion stresses for the design of a strengthening plate bonded to a beam

This paper presents methods for determining the elastic shear and peel stresses in an adhesive joint between a strengthening plate and a beam. Both closed-form and finite-difference solutions are given, allowing loading, temperature effects and plate prestrain to be considered in design. The method can be used to design strengthened beams with section properties that change along the beam (such as tapered plates), and can also be used to determine the sensitivity of an adhesive joint to bond defects. The results of some typical load cases and geometries are presented to illustrate the significance of adhesive stresses. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</p&gt

Impact of Embedded Carbon Fiber Heating Panel on the Structural/Mechanical Performance of Roadway Pavement

INE/AUTC 12.3

The structural behavior of tiled laminate GFRP composites, a class of robust materials for civil applications

This paper focuses on the structural behavior of tiled laminate composites. Such laminates, in which the plies are not parallel to the outer surfaces are found in GFRP bridge deck panels. The technology is developed for the construction of robust GFRP panels useful in highly loaded structures such as bridges or lock gates. In civil structures, the drawback in traditional FRP sandwich structures has always been debonding of skin and core. Such a debonding problem may occur after unintentional impact, followed by fatigue loading. Through the concept of using overlapping Z-shaped and two-flanged web laminates, alternating with polyurethane foam cores, debonding is no longer possible in vacuum infused GFRP bridge deck panels. In such panels, the fibers in the upper and lower skins as well as in the vertical webs run in all directions, rendering a resin-dominated crack propagation impossible. As a result of the integration of core and skin reinforcement, a skin material is created in which the reinforcement is not parallel to the outer surfaces, but tiled. Based on experimental results and numerical simulations the relevance of tiled laminates for civil applications is demonstrated

Seismic vulnerability of RC structures: Assessment before and after FRP retrofitting (case study)

In structural engineering, seismic assessment of existing structures is a crucial issue to provide adapted decisions in a vulnerability reduction context. Amongst the widely range of technical solutions for structural upgrading, external reinforcement by Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) is an interesting tool. Nevertheless, the use of FRP as a retrofitting method is limited, one of the reasons being the lack of predictive numerical tools allowing the vulnerability assessment. Based on a case-study, this paper presents a simplified modeling strategy to assess the seismic vulnerability of an existing reinforced concrete building before and after FRP retrofitting. More specifically, the structure is simulated using multifiber beam elements, the model is validated with in-situ ambient vibrations records and a simplified method to consider FRP retrofitting is proposed. Non linear dynamic analysis studies are performed using a synthetic earthquake signal according to the Eurocode 8. Finally, local indicators, based on the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS 98), are adopted to quantify the damage level in the structure, before and after its FRP retrofitting.Keywords: earthquake; vulnerability; retrofitting; FRP; concrete; multifiber beam