We currently are experiencing the initial stages of a significant advancement in the use of structural concrete. Historically, structural forms composed of concrete have relied on the modest compressive strength of concrete to carry compressive loads and internal steel reinforcement to carry tensile forces. Recent advances in concrete technology have allowed for the development of very high compressive strength concretes that also exhibit significant tensile strength and tensile toughness through the use of steel fiber reinforcement. The Federal Highway Administration's Ultra-High Performance Concrete Research Program has been investigating the use of these types of concrete in the highway infrastructure. This report discusses a series of tests that were completed on prestressed concrete I-girders composed of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). Although not structurally optimized to take advantage of the high compressive strength of UHPC, these girders did make use of UHPC's significant tensile capacity through the elimination of all mild steel reinforcement. The results contained herein show that UHPC can carry all shear forces normally demanded of a prestressed I-girder and also can significantly enhance the flexural capacity of the girder. These results should aid bridge owners in their initial foray into the use of UHPC within the bridge inventory.
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| 1. Report No.
FHWA-HRT-06-115 |
2. Government Accession No. |
3 Recipient's Catalog No. |
| 4. Title and Subtitle
Structural Behavior of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Prestressed I-Girders |
5. Report Date
August 2006
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6. Performing Organization Code
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| 7. Author(s)
Benjamin A. Graybeal |
8. Performing Organization Report No.
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9. Performing Organization Name and Address
PSI, Inc.
2930 Eskridge Road
Fairfax, VA 22031
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10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)
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| 11. Contract or Grant No.
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| 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
Federal Highway Administration
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, VA 22101-2296 |
13. Type of Report and Period Covered
Final Report, March 2001–May 2005 |
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14. Sponsoring Agency Code
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15. Supplementary Notes
Additional FHWA Contacts—Joseph Hartmann (Technical Advisor), William Wright (COTR)
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| 16. Abstract
In the past decade significant advances have been made in the field of high performance concretes (HPC). The next generation of concrete, ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), exhibits exceptional tensile and compressive strength characteristics that make it well suited for use in highway bridge structures. Prestressed highway bridge girders were cast from this material and tested under flexure and shear loadings. These American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Type II girders contained no mild steel reinforcement, forcing the UHPC and its internal passive fiber reinforcement to carry all secondary tensile forces within the girder. These tests demonstrated that UHPC can carry all shear forces normally demanded of a prestressed I-girder and can also significantly enhance the flexural capacity of the girder. Based on this research, a basic structural design philosophy for bridge I-girder design is proposed.
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| 17. Key Words
UHPC, ultra-high performance concrete, fiber-reinforced concrete, AASHTO Type II girder, I-girder, flexure, shear, design philosophy |
18. Distribution Statement
No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161. |
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19. Security Classification
(of this report)
Unclassified
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20. Security Classification
(of this page)
Unclassified
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21. No. of Pages
104
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22. Price |
