BRIGE: Performance-Based Design of Concrete Beams and Slabs Prestressed with Aramid Fiber Reinforced Polymer (AFRP) Tendons

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The research objective of this BRIGE award is to establish a performance-based design methodology to reflect the response of a bridge system prestressed with aramid fiber reinforced polymer (AFRP) tendons and subjected to service, cyclic (fatigue), and ultimate loads. The validation will be performed by conducting experimental tests on two full-scale specimens consisting of a continuous slab with two bulb T-beams with continuous monitoring. The experimental results will lead to the calibration of predictive computational models using state-of-the-art software. The experimentally validated models will be used to gain new insight into the behavior and serviceability limit states of the bridge system, particularly at ultimate load. Emphasis is also placed on material characterization of the AFRP tendons, prestress losses, effect of aggregate type on prestress losses, and short and long-term durability of the bridge system. Standard methods for computing prestressing losses in steel tendons will be used to measure losses due to creep, shrinkage, and elastic shortening by replacing the modulus of elasticity of the steel tendon with the modulus of elasticity of the AFRP tendon. Relaxation loss profiles of the AFRP tendons will be developed based on the experimental data collected to determine relaxation losses, which have been less well understood given lack of sufficient experimental data.If successful, the results of this research will add to the knowledge base of AFRP prestressing tendons for implementation into design and performance recommendations for broader impact not only enhancing the sustainability of bridges but for other structures such as marine structures that exist in highly corrosive environments. The research is integrated with an education plan, where the education objective is to promote STEM learning by exposing students, including underrepresented minorities, from metropolitan areas in Texas to engineering through outreach activities fostered through campus visits in conjunction with the College of Engineering. Laboratory demonstrations and hands-on activities are planned to inform the students about career opportunities that exist within civil engineering and to stimulate excitement for learning and discovery.