Structural Design Issues On GFRP-Reinforced Concrete Bridge Barriers

Abstract

In the era of bridge rehabilitation, glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars are considered an alternative solution to steel reinforcement to eliminate steel corrosion. In this thesis, a new bridge barrier reinforcement layout was proposed incorporating GFRP bars with anchorage heads. However, it was observed that no design provisions or research data in the literature were found to design the anchorage at barrier-deck slab junction. As such, pullout tests were conducted on GFRP bars embedded in concrete slabs, to determine their pullout strength. Also, testing to-collapse of full-scale bridge barrier under static loading was conducted to determine its load carrying capacity. In addition, finite element analysis of the barrier wall and deck slab portion was performed in order to examine the level of accuracy of the specified factored applied moments due to vehicle impact at the barrier-deck junction. The experimental findings qualified the proposed GFRP-reinforced barrier detailing when subjected to simulated vehicle impact loading.