This paper was presented at the `Advanced Materials' session. The implementation of advanced composite materials (ACM) for use in the construction of prestressed concrete highway bridges is currently being applied to the design of a new prestressed concrete highway bridge over the Assiniboine River on Provincial Road No. 334 at the Town of Headingley, Manitoba. The Headingley Bridge project includes the introduction of new design and material concepts to the construction of precast concrete highway bridges. These concepts are summarized below: use of CFRP prestressing strands, instead of conventional steel strands, in four girders; use of CFRP reinforcement as stirrups for the shear reinforcement for two girders as the shear connectors for the interface shear between the girders and the bridge deck; use of GFRP reinforcing rods to reinforce a portion of the concrete shoulder traffic barrier; and implementation of the latest in laser/fibre-optic sensing technology to monitor the performance of the bridge during construction and throughout its service life, essentially making the bridge a "smart" structure. This will be the first bridge in Canada to use ACM's for the prestressing strands, as well as the shear reinforcement. The overall objective of this project is to study the durability of a concrete bridge utilizing ACM reinforcement and to monitor effects of overload vehicles on the bridge. (A)
Samenvatting