Abstract
Abstract The paper describes the research carried out by TRL Limited on behalf of the UK Highways Agency to examine the performance of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge decks under local wheel loading. The objective of the research was to produce a draft standard giving generic design requirements for technical approval of FRP deck systems. The project included the formulation of design guidelines for fatigue. Tests were carried out on a full-scale glass FRP bridge deck under static and dynamic wheel loading. The loads were imposed using the TRL Trafficking Test Facility, which replicates the effects of the wheel of a heavy goods vehicle. The deck was subjected to over 4.6 million cycles of a 4 tonne wheel load, equivalent to 30–40 years of service traffic. A simpler approval test is proposed, applying stress cycles to small sections of deck to simulate the passage of wheels. The paper includes a description of the FRP deck, the testing and a summary of the performance of the deck.
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