Simulation of Bridge Deck Made-Up of Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composites Reinforced with ZrO2

Abstract

Composite material of glass fibre base is a very promising material for future structures. It is possible to create a bridge span consists of steel main beams and GFRP deck. For identifying the kind of glass fibre and type of polymer matrix or type of adhesive with steel or concrete, there are very interesting directions of searching line. The project presented with results of compression, tensile and impact analysis of GFRP composite. It will be described with the examples of bridges where GFRP deck have been constructed with main steel beams. Deterioration of concrete bridge decks has become a serious problem in recent years due to corrosion of steel reinforcement. There is also a need to replace existing bridge decks to accommodate the demand to increase the traffic load. The concept of using rapid deck replacement introduces an attractive approach, which minimizes traffic interruption and consequently reduces replacement costs. This project proposes an innovative glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bridge deck as an excellent solution for the infrastructure of highway bridges. The proposed composite deck, patented by War drop Engineering Incl. Faroex Ltd., consists of a series of equilateral triangular section tubes produced by the filament winding process. Glass fibres are wound at varying angles, including fibres in the longitudinal direction, to achieve the target transverse and longitudinal strengths. The bridge deck consists of modules that are formed when several of the uncured, wound, triangular elements are placed between two pultruded plates and are subsequently cured into a single module of bridge decking. These modules delivered to the site and within hours they are installed. By virtue of the very materials and processes used, glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bridge decks offer high strength, lightweight and easy handling for installation. Most importantly, the absence of steel in the deck ensures that corrosion will never occur. This project provides a description of the deck, fabrication process and test results of a portion of the deck.