Title:
Ductility of Prestressed Bridges Using CFRP Strands
Author(s):
Nabil F. Grace and George A. Sayed
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
20
Issue:
6
Appears on pages(s):
25-30
Keywords:
bridges; carbon fiber reinforced plastic; ductility; prestressed concrete; structural design
DOI:
Date:
6/1/1998
Abstract:
Direct replacement of steel reinforcement and strands with carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) materials in conventional bridge construction may result in large elastic deformations and poor ductility. Design and construction techniques must be tailored to suit this material to gain all its advantages. Four bridge models were tested under static, dynamic, fatigue, and ultimate loads. The results suggest that a combination of externally draped rods with both bonded and unbanded prestressing rods leads to a substantial increase in ductility. It is concluded that CFRP prestressed concrete bridges should be designed to experience a compression mode of failure rather than a tensile rupture.