Continuation of Field and Laboratory Tests of a Proposed Bridge Deck Panel Fabricated from Pultruded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Components

This thesis presents research completed on the experimental performance of two 6 3/4 in thick bridge deck panels fabricated by the Stongwell Corporation of Bristol, Virginia. The panels are made of off-the-shelf, pultruded glass fiber-reinforced polymer elements, bonded and mechanically fastened together. The testing involved laboratory stiffness tests performed on one deck panel which afterwards, was placed in a field test site at the I-81 Troutville Weigh Station facility. The daily truck traffic over the deck panel at this site is approximately 5400 vehicles. The second deck panel was constructed as a prototype to test benefits of steel thru-rod mechanical connectors. Further, a rubber tire loading patch was developed for the laboratory stiffness and strength tests performed on this second specimen to investigate modes of failure. Both decks made use of a hook bolt type connection to steel support beams in order to reduce damage seen in previous methods of connection.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Civil Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2002

Author dc:creator

• Coleman, Jason Thomas

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Cousins, Thomas E.
• Lesko, John J.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Roberts-Wollmann, Carin L.
• Gomez, Jose P.

• bridge decks
• pultrusion
• fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)
• fiberglass

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-04152002-222326

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/31720