Combined loading of a bridge deck reinforced with a structural FRP stay-in-place form

The investigation of a structural fiber-reinforced-polymer (FRP) stay-in-place (SIP) form used to construct and reinforce a deck for a prototype military bridge system is discussed in this paper. For this application the deck is subjected to combined bending and compressive longitudinal axial load because it also serves as the top chord of the truss for the bridge system. In an experimental program, deck specimens were tested in several configurations. The results are compared to ACI 440 design guide equations, and capacity prediction techniques are proposed for limit states associated with flexural and flexural-shear under the combined loading. It was found that the ACI 440 equations accurately predicted the flexural and flexural-shear capacities under combined loads provided that eccentricity due to the combined loading was accounted for in the calculations.