Title: Lightweight Concrete Bridge Deck Precast Panels Reinforced with GFRP Bars

Author(s): Ruifen Liu, Chris P. Pantelides, Lawrence D. Reaveley, and Brandon T. Besser

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 275

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 1-18

Keywords: Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymers, GFRP Reinforcement, Lightweight Concrete, Normal Weight Concrete, One-way Shear, Precast Panels.

DOI: 10.14359/51682439

Date: 3/1/2011

Abstract:
Precast lightweight concrete panels reinforced with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars are an ideal candidate for adoption in the construction of bridge decks using Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC). ACI 440.1R guidelines do not provide guidance for the use of lightweight concrete with GFRP bars. Tests have been carried out to evaluate the performance of normal weight and lightweight concrete precast panels reinforced with GFRP bars. The ultimate load capacity of the panels was compared to one-way shear capacity specified in the ACI 440.1R guidelines. The reduction factor for shear specified in the ACI 318 building code for lightweight concrete was used to modify the capacity predicted by the ACI 440.1R guidelines for sand lightweight precast concrete panels. Normal weight concrete panels achieved 1.8 to 2.2 times the ACI 440 predicted capacity and lightweight concrete panels achieved 1.6 to 1.9 times the modified ACI 440 shear capacity.