Experimental Investigation of Precast Bridge Deck Panels with Novel High-Performance Connections under Fatigue Loading

Abstract

Connections between precast bridge deck panels (PBDPs) have the risks of cracking and leaking during service life, influencing the performance and durability of PBDPs. High-performance materials offer the possibility for simplifying joint configurations and increasing serviceability performance. Traffic causes the bridge deck panels to bear the action of fatigue load inevitably. Therefore, this paper conducted validation tests and fatigue bending tests to investigate the fatigue behaviors of PBDPs with the proposed high-performance connections. Ultrahigh-performance concrete and carbon fiber–reinforced polymer tendons were adopted in the proposed connection. The validation tests proved the reliability of connections in the longitudinal and transverse directions under Vehicle mode-III in the Chinese code. The fatigue bending tests analyzed the performance parameter development of PBDPs with the proposed connection during the whole fatigue process, including crack pattern, deflection, strain, stiffness, and energy dissipation. Then, empirical models used to predict fatigue deflection and fatigue damage quantity were put forward based on the test results. The results show that the capacity of the static test after fatigue is 2.17 and 13.63 times the upper fatigue limit when the connection is along the support direction and perpendicular to the support direction, respectively. The proposed high-performance connection has enough safe reserves irrespective of which direction it is arranged. The fatigue damage of PBDPs with the proposed connection under moment develops in three stages: rapid development of fatigue damage stage, stable accumulation of damage stage, and imminent failure stage. The maximum midspan deflection and logarithmic cycle numbers present linear relationships. These empirical models have ideal accuracy for predicting flexural fatigue deflection and accumulative damage.