Development of Non-Metal Bridge Contributed High Durability

Abstract

<p>Maintenance becomes increasingly important as infrastructure plays a growing role in society, and there is consequently a need to enhance the durability of concrete bridges in order to reduce future maintenance costs. Considering these circumstances, the authors developed a Non-metal bridge that completely eliminates the use of steel members such as steel reinforcements and prestressing steel. We began by using aramid FRP rods as prestressing tendons to provide tensile force reinforcement. To eliminate the need for shear reinforcement, we also developed a high strength fiber reinforced concrete with high shear strength. That structure was conducted by wheel load running tests to verify the fatigue durability. After that, a half scale butterfly girder structure was built by using segmental method and tested to confirm that the structure of the joints between segments was sufficiently durable.</p>