ANALYSIS OF LIGHT WEIGHT FRP WEB CORE BRIDGE DECK

Abstract

Fiber reinforced polymer composites have been utilized for many years in other industries, they are rarely used for the decking of highway bridges. Due to the reinforcements degradation far earlier than expected, many RCC bridges are displaying distress symptoms. Due to its many advantages over conventional materials, the use of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Bridge is expanding quickly around the world. However, in recent years, the United States of America and many other affluent nations have built or renovated a large number of short span bridges with FRP decks. There are many lessons to be learned from these projects because none of them were built to nationally recognised standards. Heavy traffic loads and harsh environmental conditions are both applied to concrete bridge decks. They occasionally make up a significant amount of the dead load of bridges. Compared to a concrete deck, a laminated composite FRP deck weighs about 80% less. In order to enhance the bridge's permitted live load capacity without significantly repairing the existing superstructure and substructure, the dead load must be reduced. This extends the bridge's service life. For bridge applications, especially bridge decks composite panels high strength, high fatigue resistance, low density, and superior corrosion resistance are important qualities. Their behaviour is controlled by stability criteria since they have thin walls. Access routes for troops during military operations and the restoration of essential lifelines for communities hit by major disasters depend on portable and quickly deployable bridges. The advantages of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites over conventional materials used for existing military bridges motivate their use in bridges that may be quickly and easily deployed for military purposes and emergency applications. Nowadays, FRP composites have been used in many bridge applications due to their lightweight, high-strength, durability characteristics, and ease of transport and installation.