Shear connection system and performance evaluation of FRP-concrete composite deck

Abstract

Strong composition between FRP and concrete is an indispensable prerequisite to achieve the structural integrity of FRP-concrete composite deck. Accordingly, this study evaluates experimentally the behavioral characteristics of such shear connection systems realized by coarse sand coating and concrete wedge. The results show that coarse sand coating develops composite performance close to perfect composition in the shear direction but exhibits weakness against normal split. On the other hand, concrete wedge appears to be an efficient solution to resolve such problem. Therefore, a new shear connection system combining coarse sand coating and concrete wedge has been conceived and test revealed that the new shear connection system provides equivalent static performance together with significantly improved fatigue performance compared to the coarse sand coating composition. Following, the shear connection system combining both coarse sand coating and concrete wedge constitutes an efficient solution satisfying the strong composition requirement for the structural system.

Development of sandwich panels combining fibre reinforced concrete layers and fibre reinforced polymer connectors. Part I: Conception and pull-out tests

“…These connectors are similar to the steel Perfobond and I-shaped connectors adopted in steel-concrete composite structural elements [21]. GFRP connectors similar to the simply perforated plates [22] and I-shaped [23] have already been proposed for hybrid GFRP-concrete bridge decks.…”

Pull-out behaviour of Glass-Fibre Reinforced Polymer perforated plate connectors embedded in concrete. Part I: Experimental program

“…The steel Perfobond technology was originally developed for railway bridges [11], and since then several studies have been carried out to check its applicability in composite floor systems [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. More recently Cho et al [19] proposed perforated shear connectors in Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) for a FRP-concrete composite deck. The connector investigated herein has similarities with the proposal by Cho et al [19], with the main differences between them being related to the restraint imposed by the quite limited embedment depth available for the connectors in the sandwich panels (i.e., concrete cover and geometry of the connector).…”

“…More recently Cho et al [19] proposed perforated shear connectors in Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) for a FRP-concrete composite deck. The connector investigated herein has similarities with the proposal by Cho et al [19], with the main differences between them being related to the restraint imposed by the quite limited embedment depth available for the connectors in the sandwich panels (i.e., concrete cover and geometry of the connector).…”

Experimental Investigation of the Natural Bonding Strength between Stay-In-Place Form and Concrete in FRP-Concrete Decks/Beams

“…Additionally, it has been revealed that strong composite action between FRP and concrete can maximize the use of the tensile strength of FRP and compressive strength of concrete [29][30][31]. Therefore, the shear connection along the FRP-concrete interface has been a research topic that has attracted more attention since 1994 [32][33][34][35]. A simple way to improve the connection capacity and reduce the slip is to use strong and stiff connections such as polymeric adhesives [20], coated sands on FRP profiles [20], perforated FRP ribs [25,32], and FRP shear keys [29,34].…”