RE-CAST UTC Project Information

Project Title

FRP Reinforcement for Concrete: Performance Assessment and New Construction

Universities

University of Miami

Principal Investigator

Antonio Nanni
University of Miami

PI Contact Information

nanni@miami.edu; 305-284-3391

Funding Source(s) and Amounts Provided (by each agency or organization)

Industry Matching: $59,300
University of Miami: $59,301
RE-CAST $118,601

Total Project Cost

$237,202

Matching Agency ID or Contract Number

RE-CAST: 00042134-04-103

RE-CAST Grant Award Number

DTRT13-G-UTC45

Start and End Dates

Start Date: Oct. 1, 2015
End Date: June 30, 2018

Brief Description of Research Project

This project relates to the use FRP as internal reinforcement of concrete bridge structures and has two primary objectives:

a) To extract samples of FRP reinforcement from concrete structures in service and perform on such samples a battery of tests including SEM, EDX Short Beam Shear and Tg. Based on the outcomes of these tests, it will be possible to establish the potential aging and degradation of FRP reinforcement subject to service conditions under different environments and states of stress for various number of years.

b) To demonstrate the capabilities of FRP reinforcement in all elements (including substructure and superstructure) of a pedestrian bridge scheduled for construction at UM. This concrete bridge would be the first worldwide to completely eliminate steel reinforcement in auger-cast piles, pile caps, precast-prestressed concrete girders and deck. Sixteen sensors (i.e., vibrating wire gages) will be installed in strands, reinforcement and concrete to monitor the performance of the structure over time.

Describe Implementation of Research Outcomes

The overall objective of this research is twofold: unequivocally demonstrate the durability of FRP reinforcement in existing concrete bridges and prove that FRP can effectively be used as replacement for steel reinforcing bars, welded-wire meshes, and tendons in every elements of a bridge structure.

Impacts/Benefits of Implementation

 Provide state DOTs with viable, economical, sustainable and safe methods for the construction of concrete bridges.

Web Links

Project website: https://recast.mst.edu/projects/frpreinforcementforconcreteperformanceassess/

Final Report(s)

Volume 1 of 3: Final Report - Volume I

Volume 2 of 3: Final Report - Volume II

olume 3 of 3: Final Report - Volume III