Download or read book Exploring Fiber-reinforced Polymer Concrete for Accelerated Bridge Construction Applications written by Carolyn Donohoe and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The use of prefabricated superstructure elements in bridge construction reduces on-site construction time, improves work-zone safety, and can reduce overall project costs. For prefabricated elements to be used efficiently for accelerated bridge construction (ABC), the precast components, such as deck panels or decked-bulb tees, must be connected quickly on-site, ideally using as little additional material as possible. The use of fiber-reinforced polymer concrete (FRPC) was explored as a closure pour material for bridges to connect adjacent precast superstructure elements. Polymer concretes have been used successfully as a non-structural overlay material in transportation systems for many decades. With the addition of fibers, FRPC displays levels of two critical characteristics, bond and tension strength, that are comparable to other alternatives, such as ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). While UHPC may still provide the best solution in many instances, FRPC has the advantage of requiring shorter closure windows (approximately 4 hours versus 72 hours for UHPC) due to the very rapid strength gain of the polymer, which could be ideal for overnight construction or rehabilitation projects. The bond and mechanical properties of FRPC were determined at several temperatures, spanning the range of typical service conditions in western Washington State. Tests were completed measuring the compressive, flexural, and bond strength of FRPC. Then, a central composite rotatable experimental design was utilized to explore the impact of splice length, side cover, bar size, and temperature on bar stress in non-contact splice specimens. The test setup was similar to that completed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) with UHPC. The results of the testing program indicate that FRPC exhibits significant variation in mechanical properties with temperature, roughly -0.6 %/°F; the development of early compressive, flexure, and bond strengths were very similar, reaching roughly 70% of their 7-day values in 4 hours; and peak bar stresses in non-contact lap splices embedded in FRPC were comparable to UHPC for the embedded lengths tested. Based on the testing results, example joint configurations for connecting precast superstructure elements were developed, enabling the comparison of FRPC with alternative closure pour materials for future ABC projects.