Title:
The New Generation (Design and Construction of Highway Bridge)
Author(s):
Sami Rizkalla, Emile Shehata, Amr Abdelrahman, and Gamil Tadros
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
20
Issue:
6
Appears on pages(s):
35-38
Keywords:
carbon fiber reinforced polymer; fiber sensors; glass fiber reinforced polymer; prestressing; shear reinforcement
DOI:
Date:
6/1/1998
Abstract:
Canada’s newest "smart" bridge, the Taylor Bridge, was built across the Assiniboine River in Headingley, Manitoba, Canada, using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) for prestressing four girders and for shear reinforcement of some of the girders, as well as fiber sensors to monitor the bridge. CFRP was also used to reinforce a large portion of the deck slab, which is next to a portion reinforced with conventional steel reinforcement to determine the non-corrosive effects of these new materials on extending the service life of the bridge.Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) was used to reinforce a large portion of the barrier wall. Among the features of the bridge are the pioneering use of FRP as shear reinforcement and draping of the CFRP prestressing tendons. The bridge consists of five spans, 32.5 m (107 ft) each, and contains a new generation of fiber optic sensing technology that is being used to monitor its performance on a daily basis. It is instrumented with 65 fiber optic sensors coupled with conventional electric strain gages embedded in the bridge girders, deck slab, and barrier wall.