This thesis presents research completed on the experimental performance of two 6 3/4 in thick bridge deck panels fabricated by the Stongwell Corporation of Bristol, Virginia. The panels are made of off-the-shelf, pultruded glass fiber-reinforced polymer elements, bonded and mechanically fastened together. The testing involved laboratory stiffness tests performed on one deck panel which afterwards, was placed in a field test site at the I-81 Troutville Weigh Station facility. The daily truck traffic over the deck panel at this site is approximately 5400 vehicles. The second deck panel was constructed as a prototype to test benefits of steel thru-rod mechanical connectors. Further, a rubber tire loading patch was developed for the laboratory stiffness and strength tests performed on this second specimen to investigate modes of failure. Both decks made use of a hook bolt type connection to steel support beams in order to reduce damage seen in previous methods of connection. / Master of Science
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/31720 |
Date | 17 May 2002 |
Creators | Coleman, Jason Thomas |
Contributors | Civil Engineering, Roberts-Wollmann, Carin L., Gomez, Jose P., Cousins, Thomas E., Lesko, John J. |
Publisher | Virginia Tech |
Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Thesis |
Format | application/pdf |
Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
Relation | Jason_Coleman_Thesis.pdf |
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