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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
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    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Testing Sand-Lightweight Concrete Bridge Deck Members Reinforced with Glass FRP Bars: Phase I</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2652545</link>
      <description><![CDATA[It is widely recognized by State departments of transportation (DOTs) that bridge decks are one of the most widely known elements in the highway infrastructure needing replacement, especially in the north east and mid-west of the United States due to corrosion imposed by deicing salts. The introduction, success and standardization of the use of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars in various structural elements, especially those prone to corrosion, represents a value added to the life cycle cost of these members since the estimated service life of GFRP bars is 75-100 years. This type of innovative reinforcing material, when combined with lightweight concrete to produce bridge decks represents a new advancement and breakthrough in structural engineering innovation. Very little has been done in research on lightweight concrete bridge decks when combined with GFRP bars.
Phase I of this study will be comprised of the following distinct tasks:
1.	Mix design calibration for sand lightweight concrete:
Using 1L Cement (Portland-Limestone), which has approximately 10% (+/- 2%) raw natural unprocessed Lime Stone inter-ground with the clinker, from Ashgrove or Monarch, trial batches will be performed with standard cylinder tests for compressive strength and standard prisms for flexural tension. Lightweight aggregates will be acquired from either Buildex or Arcosa. Water reducer with slightly higher w/c ratio (around 0.4) will be initially targeted. Mix design will target 5,200 psi concrete (+/- 800 psi) to yield 4000 psi as a minimum in all cases. Use of synthetic fibers in another trial mix will also be examined.
2.	Bond tests using the hinged beam test:
Five bond tests will be performed using the finalized mix designs cast into the standard hinged (RILEM) beam specimen. At least three bond tests will be performed on sand lightweight concrete while the other two tests will be reserved for a sand lightweight concrete reinforced with synthetic fibers plus a GFRP bar to improve bond and another one with epoxy-coated bar. A single size GFRP bar (#4) will be acquired from Mateen Bars and used in the four bond tests. The last test will be the control using #4 epoxy-coated bar.
3.	Full Scale flexural deck tests:
Based on the results of the bond tests, the mix design will be finalized and applied in casting the full-scale specimens. These deck specimens will have a cross section of 20 in. width by 8.5 in. depth. The full length will be 7’ 11” with 4” bearing plates at each support leaving 7’ 3” of clear span. Both ends will be fixed to induce negative moments. The end fixities will be achieved by sandwiching the 4” of beam support ends in between two thick plates tightened together by two side threaded rods with pre-tensioned applied torque to each. Two-point loads will be applied on both sides of the mid-span to generate a moment diagram closest to that of a distributed load by spacing them a distance to achieve that. The deck sections will be reinforced with #5 GFRP bars on top and #4 GFRP bars on the bottom at a spacing to be computed by design to achieve a moment capacity equivalent to that of a standard KDOT deck design using epoxy-coated steel bars. Five different deck specimens will be constructed as follows: 
Specimen 1: Control deck specimen with epoxy-coated steel bars.
Specimen 2: Deck specimen with #5 top and #4 bottom GFRP bars.
Specimen 3: Identical to Specimen 2 for redundancy.
Specimen 4: Identical to Specimen 2 using 3#3 top and 2#3 bottom bundled GFRP bars.
Specimen 5: Identical to Specimen 4 for redundancy.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:59:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2652545</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Lightweight, Durable, and Cost-Effective: Advancing Voided Concrete Technology with Engineered Cementitious Composites  </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2646966</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Voided concrete technology, which integrates hollow plastic spheres into concrete to create a lightweight, material-efficient structure, has gained attention in construction for its ability to reduce concrete use by 30–50% and for its lower dead loads. This innovation is particularly promising for transportation infrastructure such as bridge decks, railway platforms, and parking garages where weight reduction directly impacts foundation costs and construction efficiency. Current voided concrete systems demonstrate 70–90% of conventional slab and beam load-bearing capacity, with enhanced flexural performance due to optimized reinforcement distribution. However, limitations persist: (i) reduced stiffness and shear resistance compared to solid slabs/beams, (ii) sensitivity to sphere placement errors, requiring specialized labor, and (iii) durability concerns in high-stress environments like heavy-traffic bridge decks. These challenges hinder broader adoption in transportation, where structures demand high durability, fatigue resistance, and minimal maintenance.  

This project will evaluate replacing conventional concrete with Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) in the existing voided concrete technology to address current limitations while leveraging material synergies. Indeed, ECC, reinforced with polyethylene fibers, offers superior mechanical performance in tensile ductility and strain-hardening behavior, mitigating shear and crack propagation issues in voided slabs and beams. In addition, the compressive strength exceeds that of conventional concrete, which in turn compensates for capacity reductions from voids. In terms of durability in harsh environments, the crack-width control in ECC enhances corrosion resistance, which is critical for bridge decks exposed to de-icing salts. Finally, the proposed solution is cost-effective through material efficiency as ECC’s higher cost is offset by combining its performance with voided concrete material reduction.  

This study will include a series of mechanical tests on lab-scale voided biaxial beams made with ECC and regular concrete to assess the viability and quantify the expected improvements in structural behavior. The study will provide crucial information on the newly proposed voided ECC technology and will explore: (i) the possibility of constructing longer bridge spans with reduced deck weight, minimizing pier and foundation requirements, (ii) an accelerated construction via potential prefabricated ECC voided modules, and (iii) potential service life extension through enhanced fatigue and corrosion resistance. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2026 17:19:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2646966</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Durability of Lightweight Concrete Bridge Decks</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2270035</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A primary benefit of using lightweight aggregate in concrete bridge deck construction is a reduction in dead loads that, in turn, reduces structural demands. However, anecdotal evidence from Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) personnel suggests that bridges with these decks are deteriorating more quickly than similar bridges with decks constructed of normal weight concrete. The potentially reduced lifespan and/or increased need for maintenance resulting from more rapid deterioration constitute a significant cost. For this reason, an investigation of the durability of these decks is needed. The objectives of this research are to investigate the condition of several lightweight concrete bridge decks in Utah and, if possible, identify mechanisms that are causing premature deterioration.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2023 18:43:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2270035</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Use of All Lightweight Concrete in Conjunction with UHPC Connection for
Prefabricated Barrier System</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1833699</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The use of all lightweight concrete in barriers and in some cases bridge
overhangs provides a reduction in the total weight of the barriers by almost 33%
allowing the transportation of more barrier units on one truck and easy handling.
Furthermore, in seismic regions, lighter barrier contributes to a lesser total mass
of bridge superstructures which is beneficial in many cases. In this project, two
barriers, made of all lightweight concrete, will be tested under static load test
setup and the results will be compared to the specimens which are being tested
under project number [ABC-UTC-2016-C3-FIU05].]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2021 17:23:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1833699</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Behavior of Reinforced and Unreinforced Lightweight Cellular Concrete for Retaining Walls</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1632304</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The overall objective of this study is to measure engineering design parameters and failure mechanisms for unreinforced and reinforced lightweight cellular concrete (LCC) backfills based on large-scale laboratory tests.  Specific objectives are: (1) Determine and characterize the nature of strength criteria based on failure in large-scale laboratory tests. (2) Determine the failure mechanism for unreinforced LCC backfill behind conventional reinforced concrete walls along with wall pressures and deflections. (3) Determine the failure mechanism for mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls with LCC backfill along with wall pressures, required inextensible (steel) reinforcement length, and wall displacements. (4) Measure pull-out resistance of inextensible reinforcements at large-scale and under variable applied vertical pressures.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 30 Jun 2019 15:00:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1632304</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Lightweight Concrete Modification Factor for Shear Friction</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1286101</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project is aimed at studying the influence of aggregate type on direct shear transfer across an interface of concretes cast at different times. The shear friction design concept is applicable in conditions where direct shear must be transferred across a structural concrete plane or interface, such as an existing crack or an interface between dissimilar materials or concretes cast at different times. Shear friction provisions are commonly used in the design of precast-prestressed concrete elements and connections in building and/or bridge structures including corbels, dapped double tees, beam bearings, and diaphragms. These types of connections are critical because there is little or no redundancy. Data used to develop shear friction provisions in both the ACI 318 Code and the PCI Design Handbook are predominantly from experiments with specimens constructed of normal weight concrete (NWC). Only a limited number of studies have been performed on lightweight concrete (LWC), and particularly for conditions with concrete surfaces cast at different times. This condition may exist, however, due to precast plant practices and the increasing use of self-consolidating concrete (SCC), and where projecting elements might be cast after the underlying concrete has partially hardened. Alternatively, projecting elements might be cast in advance and inserted into the fresh concrete when the main member is cast, resulting in a similar condition. It should also be noted that the influence of SCC on the interface shear has not been thoroughly studied. In summary, lack of LWC test data and clear and consistent design provisions underscore the need for a systematic approach to isolate and examine the influence of factor &amp;#955; on the interface friction so that it can be applied clearly and confidently in shear friction design.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jan 2014 01:00:24 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1286101</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Lightweight Concrete Code Provisions</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1230548</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research project will conduct an extensive laboratory study to develop code provisions for using lightweight concrete in bridge structures. It is not known if existing code equations are applicable for this new class of material.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:02:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1230548</guid>
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