Fatigue Analysis of CFRP-Reinforced Concrete Ribbed Girder Bridge Deck Slabs

Abstract

This study aims to improve the operational safety of reinforced concrete-ribbed beam bridge decks and prolong their service life by performing fatigue analysis of deck slabs reinforced with carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) and other materials. Based on a 16-m-span ribbed girder bridge, five test beams were designed: three reinforced (with CFRP cloth, CFRP mesh, and strip steel plates) and the remaining unreinforced. To simulate the real force of the bridge deck slabs, a PLS-500 electro-hydraulic servo dynamic and static test system was used and static load failure (monotonic graded loading) and fixed-point constant-amplitude fatigue loading tests (fatigue load of 0.515, loading frequency of 5 Hz) were performed. The main fatigue crack appeared when the number of load cycles exceeded 90% of the fatigue life. In the middle of fatigue, the reinforcement material can reduce the deterioration value of the bridge deck by approximately 50%. When it is reinforced at the cumulative damage degree of 0.4, its fatigue life extends by approximately 53.3–78.9%. The fatigue life of the bridge deck slabs reinforced with CFRP cloth or mesh was 22.1–25.6% more than that of those reinforced with strip steel plates. CFRP cloth is best suited for the reinforcement of bridge deck slabs.