Bridges

Development of a Sustainable UHPC Deck for Movable Bridges

---

Abstract

Louisiana has approximately 160 movable bridges, mostly in the southern part of the state. This places Louisiana among the states with the highest inventory of movable bridges in the nation. The typical deck systems in these movable bridges are steel grids. On average these decks weigh approximately 20 lb/ft2 (0.96 kN/m2). Records show that steel grids have had maintenance issues. The proximity of these exposed steel systems to humid environments leads to rapid deterioration. As a result, decks become loose, causing extreme noise. Furthermore, bridges close to residential areas often receive complaints from residents about noise levels resulting from vehicles crossing over the steel grids. An alternative UHPC/HPC bridge deck system is proposed. This system consists of precast waffle slab deck panels that are as light as the steel grid decks so that the load demand on the mechanical system is not increased. The waffle slab deck panels are reinforced with MMFX2 bars and a two-way carbon fiber mesh. Several tests were conducted on a commercial UHPC formulation to characterize the short term behavior in terms of compressive strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and unit weight. These parameters were then used in the design of the precast deck panels to determine the necessary waffle slab panel geometry to meet performance demands.

Keywords: UHPC/HPC, waffle slab, movable bridge deck

How to Cite:

Menkulasi, F., Baghi, H., Parker, J., Sandrock, J. & Gomez, S., (2016) “Development of a Sustainable UHPC Deck for Movable Bridges”, International Interactive Symposium on Ultra-High Performance Concrete 1(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.21838/uhpc.2016.83