Deterioration of reinforced concrete bridge decks has gained widespread public
attention and concern in recent years. Much of the damage can be attributed to corrosion
of steel reinforcing bars. Numerous solutions have been suggested, one of which is the
replacement of steel with a non-corroding reinforcement, such as fiberglass-reinforced
plastic materials.
Much of the current research focuses on the applicability of FRP as the main
tensile reinforcement in the slab. The nature of FRP presents many obstacles to its use in
this capacity. This investigation aims to capitalize on the strengths of both steel and FRP
by combining them. Traditional steel rebar should be used where it will provide strength
and ductility to the deck --in the bottom layer of reinforcement. The FRP is placed where
it will provide strength and non-corroding reinforcement where it is needed: the top layer.
Recent research has shown that minimal negative moment is created over supports in
bridge decks, suggesting that the use of the non-ductile FRP as the top reinforcement
would not be detrimental.
A review of prior and current research in this area was conducted. Based on this
information, four different FRP reinforcing materials were obtained. Simple-beam test
specimens were designed and built. The procedure is described, and experimental results
are presented and analyzed. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations for future work
are outlined. This investigation provides first-hand data on the behavior ofFRP reinforced
concrete and will serve as the basis for future work.
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