Structural Behavior of Waffle Bridge Deck Panels and Connections of Precast Ultra-High-Performance Concrete

Abstract

The AASHTO strategic plan in 2005 identified extending the service life of bridges and accelerating bridge construction as two of the grand challenges in bridge engineering. Previous studies have shown that using a prefabricated full-depth precast concrete deck system not only accelerated the bridge deck rehabilitation process but also extended its service life with reduced user delays and lower life-cycle costs. The recent use of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) in the United States for bridge applications has proved efficient and economical because of its superior structural and durability characteristics. On the basis of the advantages of UHPC and precast systems, a design for a full-depth UHPC waffle deck panel system was developed. A full-scale, single-span, 60-ft long by 33-ft wide prototype bridge with full-depth prefabricated UHPC waffle deck panels has been planned as a replacement bridge in Wapello County, Iowa. In support of this project, structural performance and constructability of the UHPC waffle deck system and its critical connections were studied through an experimental program at Iowa State University. Two prefabricated, full-depth, UHPC waffle deck panels were connected to two 24-ft long precast prestressed girders, and the system was tested under service, fatigue, and ultimate loads. On the basis of the test observations and results and the experience gained from fabrication of deck panels and casting of UHPC infill joints (transverse and longitudinal), the prefabricated UHPC waffle deck system concept was found to be a viable option to achieve the goals of the AASHTO strategic plan.

Headed stud shear connector for thin ultrahigh-performance concrete bridge deck

“…A UHPC bridge deck can feasibly have a thinner cross-section than a conventional concrete deck, as shown in previous studies [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. However, the joint region connecting the deck and the steel girder should have thickness comparable to that in the conventional case to ensure that shear connectors can be properly installed and embedded in the deck in order to conform to existing design codes.…”

“…[2,3] and 63.5 mm (2.5 in.) [4][5][6][7], a shear connection requires a significantly thick UHPC deck; this goes against the design objective of reducing the self-weight and lowering the profile of the deck. This study investigates the structural behavior of stud shear connectors embedded in UHPC decks of various thicknesses and confirms the validity of existing design codes for this application.…”

“…Saleem et al [2,3] developed a low-profile UHPC deck system as an alternative to an open-grid steel deck. Coreslab Structures Inc. developed a waffle-shaped UHPC panel that was installed in a bridge in Little Cedar Creek, Wapello County, Iowa, US [4], and Aaleti and Sritharan [5][6][7] investigated the structural behavior and proposed a design guide for this panel system, including connections.…”

Design of UHPC Structural Members: Lessons Learned and ASTM Test Requirements

“…Use of UHPC successfully in the entire bridge deck was accomplished by developing a full-depth precast UHPC waffle deck system as part of the Highways for LIFE program of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) [11,12]. The constructability of this system with conventional mild steel reinforcement as well as structural performance of its critical connections and panels were investigated using full-scale laboratory tests, which confirmed the excellent performance of the new deck system under service, fatigue, ultimate and punching shear loads.…”

Innovative Modular High Performance Lightweight Decks for Accelerated Bridge Construction

“…To address these challenges, as part of its "Highways for LIFE" program, the Federal Highway Administration has promoted accelerated bridge construction using prefabricated elements (Culmo, 2011). One such application was demonstrated in the implementation of a prefabricated ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) waffle deck system with field-cast UHPC connections (Heimann, 2013), as developed by Aaleti et al (2011).…”