Study on the Structural Performance of UHPC Pavement and Hinge Joint Reinforcement for Hollow Slab Girder Bridges

Abstract

To address the problem of structural performance degradation caused by hinged joints and pavement damage, we utilized actual engineering to conduct a construction study on the overall replacement of pavement and hinge joint reinforcement in ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) hollow slab girder bridges. A replacement and reinforcement design was developed and reconstruction was undertaken. By using UHPC and reinforcement bars, the adjacent slab girders were designed to work together under specific construction process guarantees for the characteristics of UHPC. The corresponding interface treatment and a combination of planting bars and steel mesh were necessary. According to the strain and deflection monitoring results, the overall performance of the bridge after pavement and hinge joint reinforcement was verified. The strain amplitude of the reinforcement was approximately 10 με, and that of the concrete was approximately 5 με. The deflection difference of the adjacent girder was similar, which proved that the hinge joints connect girders and transfer force effectively. All the results clearly demonstrated the positive overall effect of the UHPC replacement method. The conclusions could provide a reference for the reinforcement and reconstruction of similar projects.