Numerical Investigation on Static Behaviour of Steel- and GFRP-Reinforced ECC Link Slabs

Innovative materials such as Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) with inherent crack control and corrosion resistant Glass Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars are studied for implementation in joint-free bridges with link slab. The GFRP-reinforced ECC link slab is tested experimentally under static monotonic loading and structural performance is compared with its steel-reinforced counterpart. Finite element (FE) models for steel-/GFRP-reinforced link slab are developed taking into consideration of ECC and GFRP material properties and their performance validated based on experimental results. FE models are found to simulate the behaviour of link slabs reasonably well (in terms of predicting load-deformation response, maximum/peak load capacity, concrete or steel/GFRP bar strain development, concrete cracking and failure modes) as the experimental and FE predicted results/response are found to be in good agreement. FE model is then used to conduct a parametric study for the optimization of GFRP-reinforced ECC link slabs design parameters (such as GFRP/ECC modulus of elasticity, GFRP rupture strength, ECC compressive/flexural strength/maximum sand grain size and link slab reinforcement ratio) to study their influence on structural performance. GFRP-reinforced link slab shows higher load and deflection/ductility capacity compared to their steel-reinforced counterparts. Developed FE models are found to reasonably predict load capacity of ECC link slabs within 90% to 97% (for GFFRP reinforced) and 82% to 92% (for steel reinforced) of the experimental values. Both GFRP- and steel-reinforced link slabs exhibited their potential for the construction of joint-free bridges and develop FE models can be used as tools for the optimization of design variables.