Performance of a fiber reinforced polymer web core skew bridge superstructure. Part I: field testing and finite element simulations

The structural behavior of a fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) web core skew bridge superstructure is studied in this two-part paper. The two-lane bridge is a simply supported superstructure with a 7.807 m span, 10.071 m wide and a 30° skew angle. The FRP bridge deck is a sandwich structure with a two-way web core matrix and faceskins, fabricated by a molding process with E-glass fibers and vinylester resins. Four field tests have been performed since then. In this first part, the bridge structural configurations and the field test results are presented. A finite element model is developed and validated by field testing to simulate the bridge structural behavior. The comparison of the field testing and numerical simulation results shows a good agreement and bridge is performing as designed.