Jerome S. O’Connor, P. E. Executive Director, IBE

2015 NYS Local Bridge Conference

Education Professional Engagement

Research

IBE Mission … to educate the next generation of bridge engineers and to perform problem-focused research to enable the design and construction of reliable, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable bridges

Education Options

Professional Development Advanced Certificate 12 credits

Master of Science 30 credits

Sample Courses • Bridge Foundations • Design of Steel Bridges • Design of Prestressed Concrete • Seismic Isolation • Earthquake Engineering & Foundation Dynamics • Bendable Concrete • Structural Reliability and Safety • Finite Element Analysis • Wind Engineering • Bridge Management & Public Policy • Emerging Technologies in Bridge Engineering

Composite Bridge Decking for Moveable Bridges

A Highways for LIFE Project Technology Partnership

Single-leaf bascule over Erie Canal

Moveable bridges

Fixed bridges

Composite Bridge Decking

• light weight • corrosion resistant • fatigue resistant • solid surface • noise reduction • bicycle friendly

Problems with early decks

1. Suppliers have used proprietary systems 2. Decks have not been maintenance free.

• critical “details” • wearing surface

3. Initial material cost is higher than alternatives.

West Virginia 2003

5” thick FRP 25 psf 0

50

100

150

FRP Concrete

psf

Hybrid UB-Deck

Hybrid UB-Deck

• Panel stiffness leads to good performance • Non-proprietary • Durable wearing surface

Hybrid Superstructure

2004 Erie County

concrete FRP

Hybrid Superstructures

2006 Steuben County

2007 Chautauqua County concrete

FRP

SD

OR

CA

NV UT

AZ

CO

NM

TX (SME)

OK

LA

MO

IL

WI

MN

WA

MI

IN OH

PA

NY

TN

MS AL GA

SC

FL

NC

VA MD DC

DE

ME

MA

NH VT

KY

CT IA

WV

ID

ND

NJ

MT

KS

WY

NE

AR

RI

AK

HI

Member’s Home State

Technical Advisory Panel

Art Yannotti, NYSDOT

Needs Assessment

Hybrid UB-Deck

Tube

4½”

Fiber architecture

Hybrid UB-Deck

Vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding

Hybrid UB-Deck

Empty

Top filled

Alternating fill

Features 1. Non-proprietary 2. Hybrid materials 3. Reliable wearing surface 4. Proven system (joints, connections, railing) 5. Fire tested 6. Redundancy 7. Versatility

Finished panel depth = 5 3/8”

Especially Appropriate for o Moveable bridges o Historic bridges o ‘Light’ designs o Posted bridges

Cross Slope & Haunch

Deck Weight

Other alternatives Steel grating 17 - 55 psf Filled grating 70 – 100 psf Exodermic 50 – 75 psf

27

Testing 1. Material coupon Testing 2. Tube Testing 3. Panel Testing

Flexure Fatigue Ultimate Shear

4. Connection Tests Railing post-deck panel Panel-to-panel Panel to beams

5. Fire Test 6. Field Test 7. FEA

Coupons (material properties)

Testing

ASTM D3039 / D3039M -08 Tensile Properties of Polymer Matrix Composite Materials

Tubes (building block)

Testing

Slippage of non-shrink duct grout

Panel Testing (various fills)

Panel #5-epoxy-WSD

Panel #6-epoxy-WSU

Epoxy grout provides 34% greater stiffness

Flexure results (consistent, linear behavior)

10 feet

1 million cycles at design load level with no stiffness degradation

Fatigue Testing

Ultimate failure: 10-ft span

Strength I load level

Service load level

Ultimate strength of the panel

34

Fire Test

by: NGC Fire Testing Buffalo, NY

Fire Testing

The panel sustained a temperature of 1,500◦F for 20 minutes with a superimposed load of 1,600 lbs w/ minimal deflection

Tube-to-tube bond

“Detail” Testing

Capacity = 35.6 kip (local buckling load) while deforming at 0.09 in. at the mid-point of panel bottom plane.

Field Joints

“Detail” Testing

(shown inverted)

Wearing Surface • pull-off test per ASTM D-7522 • fatigue

“Detail” Testing

• Pull-off test: average adhesive-epoxy bond = 825 psi

• Fatigue: no evidence of debonding

Railing Post

“Detail” Testing

40

Railing Post

Railing Post

Failure mode: punching of the back plate into the FRP

August 2012 Installation

12 panels were placed using clip/bolt connection

August 2012 Installation

Field Load Test

• Two tri-axle dump trucks were used (35 ton) • Static and dynamic tests; strain, deflection of

FRP deck and steel girders under 1 or 2 trucks

45 Maximum mid-span deflection for steel girders meets AASHTO limit (L/800)

Field Load Test

46 Maximum mid-span deformation on FRP deck (300 µe, 2% of ultimate strength) occurred with truck center axle at midspan

Field Load Test

UB-Deck Finite Element Analysis

.

Dr. Amjad Aref’s 3-D FE model correlates well with actual performance.

3 years of service to date

• Performance: The demands of strength, stiffness, mechanical connections and fire performance were met.

• Weight is extremely attractive. • Predictable behavior • Cost is still initially higher than conventional

materials but will likely save expense over the life of bridge.

• Accepted by FHWA as a proven technology

UB-Deck Conclusions

www.buffalo.edu/bridge