CRITICAL ISSUES IN FIBRE COMPOSITE BRIDGE GIRDER DESIGN

This paper presents results of an ongoing research project into the development of a new style of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge girder. A range of issues critical to the successful design of this type of girder are discussed, together with the test results of four scaled girders. Special attention is paid to the different failure modes of these girders and the influence of the various types of reinforcement on these modes. The test results demonstrate the significant potential of this girder for bridge applications. The paper also presents a simple, yet sufficiently accurate, design method for this type of FRP girder. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD E204289.