Ultimate strength of a steel–concrete composite bridge deck slab with profiled sheeting

Abstract

The ultimate behaviour of a steel–concrete composite deck slab system with profiled steel sheeting and perfobond rib shear connectors was experimentally investigated. The main objectives of this study are to develop a composite deck slab for girder bridges that spans longer but weighs less than the conventional reinforced concrete (RC) deck slab and to experimentally validate the proposed deck slab system. Eight deck specimens were tested with different shear span lengths to evaluate the horizontal shear capacity of the proposed deck system by using the empirical m – k method. To examine the ultimate load-carrying capacity of the proposed deck slab system under sagging and hogging bending actions, two full-scale deck slab specimens supported by a set of steel box blocks were fabricated and tested. The ultimate strength and initial concrete cracking load of the proposed deck system under hogging bending action are approximately 2.5 and 7.1 times greater than those of an RC deck, respectively, while the deck weighs about 25% less than RC deck systems.