More Choices for Connecting Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems (PBES)

Prefabricating bridge elements and systems (PBES) offers major time savings, cost savings, safety advantages, and convenience for travelers. According to the Federarl Highway Administration (FHWA), the use of PBES is also solving many constructability challenges while revolutionizing bridge construction in the US. In the past decade, innovative PBES connections have been evolved and many of these connections used Ultra-High performance concrete (UHPC). UHPC has superior mechanical properties and durability. However, some of the limitations associated with UHPC wide spread use include: the very expensive price tag, the expertise needed to work with UHPC, it is labor intensive, and most of the robust mixes are currently proprietary. Several state departments of transportation (DOTs) see the proprietary nature of UHPC leads sometimes to sole-sourcing and in turn, bidding issues. Thus, there is a growing interest nowadays to find other alternatives and choices for PBES connections. The goal of this project is to identify potential alternatives to replace UHPC in PBES and accelerated bridge construction (ABC) seismic and non-seismic connections. These alternatives can include special or advanced grout, polymer concrete, fiber concrete, etc. One selected material or alternative will be tested for at least two different PBES or ABC connection types.

• Record URL:
  https://abc-utc.fiu.edu/research-projects/unr-research-projects/more-choices-for-connecting-prefabricated-bridge-elements-and-systems-pbes/

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $126000
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551747121

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Florida International University

  Civil and Environmental Engineering
  10555 W. Flagler Street, EC 3680
  Miami, FL  United States  33174

  Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (ABC-UTC)

  Florida International University
  10555 W. Flagler Street
  Miami, FL  United States  33174

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  University of Nevada, Reno

  1664 N. Virginia Street
  Reno, Nevada  United States  89557

  Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (ABC-UTC)

  Florida International University
  10555 W. Flagler Street
  Miami, FL  United States  33174
• Project Managers:

  Azizinamini, Atorod

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Nevada, Reno

  1664 N. Virginia Street
  Reno, Nevada  United States  89557
• Principal Investigators:

  Moustafa, Mohamed

  Itani, Ahmad

• Start Date: 20180101
• Expected Completion Date: 20201231
• Actual Completion Date: 20200901
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Bridge construction; Bridge members; Prefabricated bridges; Structural connection; Ultra high performance concrete
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01711281
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (ABC-UTC)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747121
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jul 18 2019 2:48PM