Reliability analysis and design of GFRP-reinforced bridge decks

Title: Reliability analysis and design of GFRP-reinforced bridge decks
Author(s): Young Hoon Kim, David Trejo, Paolo Gardoni
Paper category : conference
Book title: 2nd International Symposium on Service Life Design for Infrastructures
Editor(s): K. van Breugel, Guang Ye, Yong Yuan
Print-ISBN: 978-2-35158-096-7
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-097-4
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2010
Pages: 405 - 412
Total Pages: 8
Nb references: 20
Language: English

Abstract: Glass-fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcement is being used in bridge decks as a replacement for steel reinforcement. It is thought that the GFRP reinforcement does not corrode and can be a more sustainable material for reinforced concrete structures. The design specifications allow the use of GFRP-reinforced concrete and require that the design tensile strength of the GFRP reinforcement be a function of an environmental factor and the guaranteed ultimate tensile strength (GUTS). The GUTS is defined as the mean tensile strength of the unexposed, newly produced reinforcement minus three standard deviations of the test lot. However, limited research has been performed to quantify the time-variant capacity of GFRP reinforcement embedded in concrete and thus the reliability of the environmental factor is unknown.
Using a Bayesian approach, a probabilistic model for the tensile capacity of GFRP reinforcement has recently been developed. The model uses tensile capacity data of GFRP reinforcement embedded in concrete for up to 7 years. This model is used herein to assess the time-variant structural reliability of a bridge deck. The results on the ability of GFRPreinforced bridges to withstand future loads can be used to estimate the service life and optimize the design and construction for sustainable infrastructure systems.

Online publication: 2011-04-20
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00