Static and fatigue load performance of a pultruded GFRP deck panel reinforced with steel wires

This paper presents an experimental study of the quasi-static and fatigue load performance of a pultruded GFRP (glass fiber-reinforced polymer) deck panel that can be used to furnish the roadway surface of temporary detour bridges. The flanges of the GFRP deck panel were reinforced with uniformly spaced steel wires to increase the flexural stiffness of the panel. A total of nine full size GFRP deck panel specimens were tested under static and fatigue loadings. The load-deflection behavior and ultimate strength of the deck specimens were compared with those of the unreinforced specimens. The test results were also compared with the results of finite element analysis. The steel reinforcement of the steel reinforced GFRP panels was only 2.5% of the cross-sectional area of the GFRP composite. The test results indicated that, at the design load level, the flexural stiffness of the steel reinforced GFRP panels was approximately 12.3% greater than that of the unreinforced GFRP panels. The test results further revealed that the fatigue loading up to 120% of the design load did not influence the stiffness of the steel reinforced GFRP deck panel.