Missouri S&T Scholar's Mine Research RepositoryMissouri S&T Research
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Identification of Performance Characteristics of Concrete Railings with Pultruded FRP Reinforcement
The use of pultruded Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) internal reinforcement for concrete bridge decks, in the form of either reinforcing bars or gratings, ideally eliminates a major instrument of degradation, i.e., corrosion of the steel reinforcement accruing from the use of deicing salt on roads and exposure to harsh environmental conditions. Recent extensive R&D work funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) demonstrated the feasibility of using pultruded panels as stay-in-place (SIP) formwork and reinforcement to dramatically reduce construction time. The development of GFRP reinforced concrete railings is of primary importance to integrate a truly steel-free bridge deck system. From a practical standpoint, the use of composite reinforcement would prevent degradation of the safety appurtenances and their connection with the deck, thereby enhancing the roadway safety. In addition, devising a simple reinforcement layout, combined with the use of lightweight FRPs, would decidedly improve constructability. A new GFRP deck system comprising large-scale SIP gratings has been selected for the rapid superstructure replacement of a slab-on-girder bridge located in Greene County, MO. To complement the deck system, a modified open-post GFRP reinforced concrete rail was designed. Figure 1 provides an overview of the reinforcement strategies. Experimental validation of the design assumptions is a fundamental step in the transition of an innovative solution from the laboratory to the field. The experimental program proposed herein is aimed at establishing performance characteristics of concrete railings reinforced with pultruded GFRP elements. Identifying the static and dynamic response of the rail, the deck overhang, and the critical detail of the deck/rail connection would provide a basis to evaluate the acceptability of alternative designs. In perspective, GFRP SIP deck gratings may be ideally complemented by a fully integrated rail reinforcement composed of similar pultruded elements.