Title:
Full-Scale Test of Prestressed Double-Tee Beam
Author(s):
Nabil F Grace, GeorgeAbdel-Sayed, Frederick C. Navarre, Richard B. Nacey, Wayne Bonus and Loris Collavino
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
25
Issue:
4
Appears on pages(s):
52-58
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
4/1/2003
Abstract:
There are few prestressed concrete bridges constructed using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) tendons as the only flexural reinforcement. FRP is a linearly elastic material, which may not provide a ductile failure mode if substituted directly for steel. Results of early research investigations conducted at the Structural Testing Center of Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, MI, have shown that internally bonded CFRP tendons, in combination with externally unbonded CFRP tendons, can lead to reasonably ductile systems for simply supported and continuous prestressed concrete bridges. We based both the design of the Bridge Street Bridge (located in the city of Southfield, MI) and the double-tee (DT) test beam used in this study on these results. This article presents the experimental investigation of the DT test beam to evaluate the design procedure and major parameters such as concrete strains, deflections, forces in the post-tensioning strands at the service load, cracking load, ultimate load, and the type of failure at the ultimate load.