Prestressed concrete construction

This study presents the experimental and theoretical studies on debond of steel bonded to concrete, which aids in understanding the mechanics of the repaired damaged prestressed concrete girders with externally bonded steel plates. The bond strength of bonded steel plate specimen is determined experimentally by the debond test. The initial crack is introduced in the specimens at three different locations, which include the steel/adhesive interface, adhesive through-thickness, and adhesive/concrete interface. Certain debond test specimens are exposed to freeze/thaw and tidal cycles to evaluate the degradation in bond strength resulting from the environmental conditions. The fracture toughness for debonding would be evaluated and expressed as the critical strain energy release rate. A finite element analysis was performed to evaluate the compliance and stress distribution in the debond test specimens. Also, stress distribution of repaired AASHTO prestressed concrete bridge girders with metal sleeve splice was also determined at the interface of steel and concrete.

Nonlinear finite element analyses of the reinforced rectangular beams, prestressed solid slab and prestressed voided slab retrofitted with CFRP laminates are carried out using the software ANSYS(version 5.0) on the Sunwork station. The computer analyses are based on the proposed stress-strain relationship considering the effects of tensile stress on both elastic modulus and maximum compressive stress of concrete. Several assumptions are made in predicting the loss of tensile strength due to crack, confinement due to the laminate bonding, tensile strength due to the prestress force, failure pattern due to the concentrated stress adjacent to the loading point and concrete crushing due to large compressive strain. A subroutine is developed using macro commands of ANSYS. In this research, Branson's equation or Ie procedure is assumed in the prediction of deflection of retrofitted concrete members. The modifications needed due to laminate bonding are the cracking moments of inertia (Icr) of the beams or slabs bonded with CFRP laminates, which are included in the analysis.

A series of experiments was performed on prestressed concrete specimens for the purpose of studying the tendency of disbonding between the embedded steel and the concrete due to an impressed cathodic current. The procedure first involved impressing an anodic current until active potentials were recorded along the tendon length. Subsequently, cathodic polarization of the prestressed tendons was affected using a current density of 1 mA/cm^2. The strain variation of the concrete specimens was monitored during these two procedures using gages placed on the top or bottom surface. It was found that for a current density of 1 mA/cm^2 during the 30 day monitoring period the concrete relaxed by an amount equivalent to an 80 percent loss of bond between the tendons and concrete. The implications of this with regard to cathodic protection of prestressed concrete structures and components in actual service are discussed.

One of the major problems the construction industry faces today is corrosion of reinforcing and prestressing steel, which significantly affects the durability of concrete structures. Fiber reinforced plastics (FRPs) are highly regarded as prospective replacement for steel in prestressed concrete structures under corrosive environment. This investigation was conducted to establish the feasibility of using Carbon Fiber Composite (CFC) cables as reinforcing/prestressing elements in concrete bridge structures. Besides investigating durability of CFC cables and pretensioned concrete beams with CFC cables in adverse environments (alkali and seawater), flexure and shear tests were performed on single Double-Tee beams, together with service load behavior, fatigue strength and ultimate load capacity tests on a half scale model Double-Tee girder bridge system prestressed with CFC cables. Exposure to seawater and alkali environments has no adverse effect on the strength of the CFRP tendons as well as the pretensioned beams with CFRP. Based on the flexural strength tests on Double-Tee beams, the bond between CFRP tendons and concrete is satisfactory. The Double-Tee bridge system exhibited good fatigue resistance and adequate ductility under ultimate load conditions. The ultimate load capacity of the bridge is approximately three times the service load corresponding to two HS20-44 trucks and equals 2.4 times the first crack load. Finite element analyses were carried out to predict elastic deformations and collapse load of the Double-Tee bridge prestressed with CFC cables. Feasibility of using CFC cables in bridge structures is assessed based on the experimental and analytical parameters such as deflections, strains, crack distributions and crack widths.

One of the major problems the construction industry faces today is low corrosion resistance of reinforcing and prestressing steel, which significantly affects the durability of concrete structures. Theoretically Advanced Composite Materials (ACM) can successfully be used in concrete structures, in lieu of steel, as reinforcing and/or prestressing elements, owing to high tensile strength, immunity towards corrosion, low Young's modulus, light weight and high fatigue resistance. Very little experimental and performance data are available on the properties of ACM and their application in concrete structures. Thus, to ensure safety of the structures, accurate assessment and continuous performance monitoring of the ACM together with the structure have to be made with an option of active and/or passive structural control. This investigation is aimed to establish the feasibility of using Aramid Fiber Reinforced Plastic (AFRP) cables as reinforcing/prestressing elements in concrete bridge structures. Besides investigating the durability of the AFRP cables in adverse environments (alkali and seawater), static and ultimate load tests were performed on a Double-Tee beam and three rectangular beams together with static, fatigue and ultimate load tests on a half scale model Double-Tee bridge system prestressed with AFRP. The AFRP specimens exposed to alkali and seawater for 900 hours retained 88% of the average failure strength of control specimens. Large deformations at ultimate conditions and good fatigue resistance were observed in the experimental studies. A computer code, FRPFLEX, was developed to perform flexural analysis of beams prestressed/reinforced with the ACM. An incremental, stiffness augmented non-linear analysis was performed using grillage analogy to assess static flexural behavior of Double-Tee bridge system. Analytical results showed good correlation with experimental findings. An active deformation/vibration control model is suggested, which can be incorporated in prototype bridges for safety and performance data evaluation. Feasibility of the use of the AFRP cables in bridge structures is assessed based on the experimental and analytical parameters such as deflections, strains, crack distributions, crack widths and energy considerations.

With the need to improve corrosion resistance in columns and piles, the innovative idea of Centrally Prestressed Fiber Reinforced Concrete (CPFRC) columns is a promising solution. The first step is to compare if the compressive strength of any mix is affected by the size, geometry, or even the inclusion of polyolefin fibers in a specimen. The results showed that the cylinder size of 4 in. x 8 in., which is the most common size used by the testing labs, has the highest compressive strength. There was no sign on compressive strength improvement with the use of polyolefin fibers, except for reduction in cracking size and concrete spalling. The second step compared the ultimate strength, ductility characteristics and failure mode of CPFRC columns to conventional columns. CPFRC showed adequate axial and flexural resistance, in addition to ductile behavior similar to regular reinforced concrete columns.