Performance of a fibre-reinforced polymer bridge deck under dynamic wheel loading

The paper describes the research carried out by TRL Limited on behalf of the UK Highways Agency to examine the performance of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge decks under local wheel loading. The objective of the research was to produce a draft standard giving generic design requirements for technical approval of FRP deck systems. The project included the formulation of design guidelines for fatigue. Tests were carried out on a full-scale glass FRP bridge deck under static and dynamic wheel loading. The loads were imposed using the TRL Trafficking Test Facility, which replicates the effects of the wheel of a heavy goods vehicle. The deck was subjected to over 4.6 million cycles of a 4 tonne wheel load, equivalent to 30–40 years of service traffic. A simpler approval test is proposed, applying stress cycles to small sections of deck to simulate the passage of wheels. The paper includes a description of the FRP deck, the testing and a summary of the performance of the deck.