Static, dynamic and creep behaviour of a full-scale GFRP-SFRSCC hybrid footbridge

• Main Author: Gonilha, José
• Publication Date: 2014
• Other Authors: Barros, Joaquim A. O., Correia, João R., Sena-Cruz, José, Branco, Fernando A., Ramos, L., Gonçalves, Delfina, Alvim, Mário R., Santos, Tomé
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/31001
• topic: GFRP pultruded profiles; Steel fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete (SFRSCC); Hybrid footbridge; Design; Construction; Experimental tests; Steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete (SFRSCC); concrete (SFRSCC); Steel fibre reinforced self-compacting; Science & Technology

A three-year research project (Pontalumis) was carried out for the development of an innovative simply supported hybrid footbridge, with 11 m of length and 2 m of width. The footbridge is composed of two pultruded I-shaped glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) girders (400×200(×15) mm2) bonded and bolted to a 37.5 mm thick deck in steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete (SFRSCC). The present paper describes the material/structural concept of this footbridge, its design and construction process, and summarizes the response of the prototype when submitted to static short and long-term load tests, and dynamic load tests. The prototype was simple and fast to execute, presenting a reduced dead-weight of only about 3 tonf. The static and dynamic behaviour of the prototype as well as its long-term deflection fulfil standards’ requirements for footbridge structures and are in good agreement with conventional analytical and numerical design tools.