Experimental study on AR fiberglass connectors for bridges made of composite materials

Abstract

One highly relevant aspect in composite material bridgedesing is the study of the shear connectors to be used.Composite material bridges most commonly comprise acomposite deck resting on steel or reinforced concrete girders.This article analyzes the connectors most frequentlyused in such bridges. It also reviews the connectors used in the King StormwaterChannel Bridge, whose fibreglass deck is supported bygirders made of concrete-filled carbon fibre girders. The paper advances proposals for several types of connectorsand discusses the results of push-out test run ona number of prototypes with different geometries. The results are analyzed to identify the optimum model forthe “Autovia del Cantabrico” Overpass, with its 46-m span,carbon fibre girders and AR glass shear connectors.

Keywords

• connector
• glass fibre
• bridge
• alcali
• fiber reinforcement
• characterization