FE Evaluation of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Decks with Glass-FRP Composite Bars

In order to resolve the steel corrosion problem in bridge decks, glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) has been recommended as a substitute to the conventional steel reinforcement in bridge decks. However, the use of GFRP bars in bridge decks is still limited by several concerns, including the long-term durability of GFRP bars in the concrete under sustained loadings. Literature review showed that the tensile strength reduction of the GFRP bar should be governed by the sustained stress level in the GFRP bar. In this regard, a GFRP reinforced concrete deck was simulated in this paper, aiming to investigate the sustained stress levels in the GFRP bars through three dimensional finite element (FE) modeling. Per AASHTO LRFD specifications, one lane loaded and two lane loaded cases were examined to identify the maximum tensile strains in the internal GFRP bars subjected to dead loads and HL-93 design loadings. The FE results showed that the maximum tensile stresses in GFRP bars under service loads were less than 1% of the GFRP design strength, which implied that the GFRP bars could have excellent long-term performance in real concrete bridge decks.