FULL-SCALE TEST OF PRESTRESSED DOUBLE-TEE BEAM

The Bridge Street Bridge in Southfield, Michigan, is the most recent carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) prestressed concrete bridge in the United States, and the first to use CFRP tendons, carbon fiber composite cable (CFCC) strands and CFRP sheets. Due to the lack of existing design standards for FRP prestressed concrete bridges, the design and construction approach was validated by testing a full-scale double-tee (DT) beam to failure. This study describes the experimental investigation of the DT test beam, including critical major structural parameters such as concrete strains, deflections, forces in the post-tensioning strands at the service load, cracking load, ultimate load, and the type and pattern of failure experience at the ultimate load. Results showed that the combined internal and external prestressing induced the desired compressive strains in the cross section, which balanced the tensile strains induced by the applied load to prevent service load cracking in the beam. The ultimate flexural capacity and the cracking of the DT beam were determined to be about 3.4 and 1.2 times the service moment, respectively. In addition, the tested flexural strength was about 1.6 times that of the calculated capacity. The beam webs experienced significant cracking before the failure load. Crushing of the concrete topping, followed by the rupture of the internal prestressing tendons, initiated the failure of the DT beam. However, none of the external unbonded CFCC post-tensioning strands ruptured. These results provided the design team with enough information to proceed with the development of the design approach and construction documents for the bridge.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/4163061
• Corporate Authors:

  American Concrete Institute (ACI)

  38800 Country Club Drive
  Farmington Hills, MI  United States  48331
• Authors:
  • Grace, N F
  • Abdel-Sayed, G
  • Navarre, F C
  • Nacey, R B
  • Bonus, W
  • Collavino, L
• Publication Date: 2003-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 52-58
• Serial:
  • Concrete International
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: American Concrete Institute (ACI)
  • ISSN: 0162-4075

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Breaking loads; Bridge design; Carbon fibers; Composite materials; Crushing; Deflection; Experiments; Failure analysis; Fiber reinforced plastics; Flexural strength; Loads; Mechanical properties; Posttensioning; Prestressed concrete bridges; Properties of materials; Prototype tests; Sheets; Strain (Mechanics); T beams; Tendons (Materials)
• Geographic Terms: Southfield (Michigan)
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Materials; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00941160
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 7 2003 12:00AM