Abstract Marine, coastal structures, and bridges deteriorate prematurely due to corrosion. Numero... more Abstract Marine, coastal structures, and bridges deteriorate prematurely due to corrosion. Numerous failures have occurred in substructure members of these structures, such as piles, leading to ver...
The use of corrosion resistant glass FRP (GFRP) bars as internal reinforcement for concrete has b... more The use of corrosion resistant glass FRP (GFRP) bars as internal reinforcement for concrete has become a viable technology for bridge structures particularly in cold regions where de-icing salts are used and in coastal areas. Design principles for GFRPreinforced concrete (RC) are well established, and guideline documents have been published in North America, Europe, and Japan. In Canada, the use of GFRP bars is specified in the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code. In the US, the design of GFRP-RC bridge decks and open-post railings is codified in the first edition of specifications published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 2009. The need for national standards is paramount for the wider deployment of FRP-RC design. State and local transportation agencies rely on these documents to ensure that federal eligibility for project funding is not jeopardized. To respond to this demand, a task force of researchers and practitioners has developed a draft for the second edition of the AASHTO guide specifications to be submitted for consideration and adoption by the designated AASHTO Committee. The paper presents the salient contents of these new expanded specifications, which cover relevant bridge superstructure and substructure components. Compared to the first edition, significant changes were introduced to reflect the state-of-theart from the archival literature. The overarching objectives were to enlist the most recent findings and experience to make the provisions more rationale, offset the overconservativeness of some requirements, and harmonize the design philosophy with those of other existing authoritative codes standards
BACKGROUND STATEMENT Bridge deck joints are costly to buy, install, and maintain. They have provi... more BACKGROUND STATEMENT Bridge deck joints are costly to buy, install, and maintain. They have provided severe performance and maintenance problems as water and deck drainage contaminated with chemicals leak through the superstructure and onto the pier caps below, thus damaging or eventually completely destroying some vital parts of bridges such as prestressing cable anchorage systems, beams, bearings, substructure seat areas, and end diaphragms. Also, debris accumulation in the joints may restrain deck expansion (ElSafty 1994). One of the best solutions is to adopt jointless bridges and elimination of expansion joints in bridge decks. That has been an effective method of constructing bridges. It corresponds to reduced maintenance and improved bridge-deck life expectancy. It is possible to replace bearing devices with simple elastomeric pads, or totally integrate the superstructure with the supports without any bearings. With the use of jointless bridge decks, there are no joints to purchase nor bearings to maintain, the riding surface is smoother, the initial and life-cycle cost are lower, and there will be a reduction in span bending moments and deflections. In conclusion, using a link-slab and making the bridge girders (partially continuous) continuous for live load provides lower cost, improved durability, longer spans, improved seismic performance, better resistance to wind loads and storm wave loads, improved structural integrity, and improved riding quality. Current consensus seems to allow elimination of expansion joints on bridges as long as 650 feet. Much longer bridges have occasionally been constructed without reported distress. There is a need for simple guidelines for design and detailing of the popular continuous-for-live-load connection system. An options for jointless bridge deck link-slab is shown in Fig. 1.
Journal of Infrastructure Preservation and Resilience, 2021
Within the last century, coastal structures for infrastructure applications have traditionally be... more Within the last century, coastal structures for infrastructure applications have traditionally been constructed with timber, structural steel, and/or steel-reinforced/prestressed concrete. Given asset owners’ desires for increased service-life; reduced maintenance, repair and rehabilitation; liability; resilience; and sustainability, it has become clear that traditional construction materials cannot reliably meet these challenges without periodic and costly intervention. Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites have been successfully utilized for durable bridge applications for several decades, demonstrating their ability to provide reduced maintenance costs, extend service life, and significantly increase design durability. This paper explores a representative sample of these applications, related specifically to internal reinforcement for concrete structures in both passive (RC) and pre-tensioned (PC) applications, and contrasts them with the time-dependent effect and cost of cor...
The development of a comprehensive bridge design national standard is paramount to allow for a wi... more The development of a comprehensive bridge design national standard is paramount to allow for a wider and safe deployment of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Reinforced Concrete (RC) in the transportation infrastructure. To respond to this demand, a task force of researchers, practitioners, and transportation officials lead by the University of Miami (UM), the University of South Carolina (USC), and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), has developed a draft of the second edition of the Bridge Design Guide Specifications for GFRP-RC (BDGS-GFRP), now under consideration by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) committee T6. This paper deals with the salient contents of the document, with specific emphasis on the design of flexural members. Compared to the first edition, changes were proposed to reflect the state-of-the-art from archival literature and harmonize the design philosophy with that of other authoritative national and international standards.
To support and promote the deployment of innovative technologies in infrastructure, it is 6 funda... more To support and promote the deployment of innovative technologies in infrastructure, it is 6 fundamental to quantify their implications in terms of both economic and environmental impacts. 7 Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars and Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strands are validated corrosion-resistant solutions for Reinforced Concrete (RC) and Prestressed Concrete (PC) structures. Studies on the performances of FRP reinforcement in seawater and saltcontaminated concrete have been conducted and show that the technology is a viable solution. Nevertheless, the economic and environmental implications of FRP-RC/PC deployment have not been fully investigated. This paper deals with the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analyses of an FRP-RC/PC bridge in Florida. The bridge is designed to be entirely reinforced with FRP bars and strands and does not include any Carbon Steel (CS) reinforcement. Furthermore, the deployment of seawater concrete in some of the elements of the bridge is considered. LCC and LCA analyses at the design stage are performed. Data regarding equipment, labor rates, consumables, fuel consumption and disposal were collected during the construction phase and the analysis is refined accordingly. The FRP-RC/PC bridge design is
Abstract Marine, coastal structures, and bridges deteriorate prematurely due to corrosion. Numero... more Abstract Marine, coastal structures, and bridges deteriorate prematurely due to corrosion. Numerous failures have occurred in substructure members of these structures, such as piles, leading to ver...
The use of corrosion resistant glass FRP (GFRP) bars as internal reinforcement for concrete has b... more The use of corrosion resistant glass FRP (GFRP) bars as internal reinforcement for concrete has become a viable technology for bridge structures particularly in cold regions where de-icing salts are used and in coastal areas. Design principles for GFRPreinforced concrete (RC) are well established, and guideline documents have been published in North America, Europe, and Japan. In Canada, the use of GFRP bars is specified in the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code. In the US, the design of GFRP-RC bridge decks and open-post railings is codified in the first edition of specifications published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 2009. The need for national standards is paramount for the wider deployment of FRP-RC design. State and local transportation agencies rely on these documents to ensure that federal eligibility for project funding is not jeopardized. To respond to this demand, a task force of researchers and practitioners has developed a draft for the second edition of the AASHTO guide specifications to be submitted for consideration and adoption by the designated AASHTO Committee. The paper presents the salient contents of these new expanded specifications, which cover relevant bridge superstructure and substructure components. Compared to the first edition, significant changes were introduced to reflect the state-of-theart from the archival literature. The overarching objectives were to enlist the most recent findings and experience to make the provisions more rationale, offset the overconservativeness of some requirements, and harmonize the design philosophy with those of other existing authoritative codes standards
BACKGROUND STATEMENT Bridge deck joints are costly to buy, install, and maintain. They have provi... more BACKGROUND STATEMENT Bridge deck joints are costly to buy, install, and maintain. They have provided severe performance and maintenance problems as water and deck drainage contaminated with chemicals leak through the superstructure and onto the pier caps below, thus damaging or eventually completely destroying some vital parts of bridges such as prestressing cable anchorage systems, beams, bearings, substructure seat areas, and end diaphragms. Also, debris accumulation in the joints may restrain deck expansion (ElSafty 1994). One of the best solutions is to adopt jointless bridges and elimination of expansion joints in bridge decks. That has been an effective method of constructing bridges. It corresponds to reduced maintenance and improved bridge-deck life expectancy. It is possible to replace bearing devices with simple elastomeric pads, or totally integrate the superstructure with the supports without any bearings. With the use of jointless bridge decks, there are no joints to purchase nor bearings to maintain, the riding surface is smoother, the initial and life-cycle cost are lower, and there will be a reduction in span bending moments and deflections. In conclusion, using a link-slab and making the bridge girders (partially continuous) continuous for live load provides lower cost, improved durability, longer spans, improved seismic performance, better resistance to wind loads and storm wave loads, improved structural integrity, and improved riding quality. Current consensus seems to allow elimination of expansion joints on bridges as long as 650 feet. Much longer bridges have occasionally been constructed without reported distress. There is a need for simple guidelines for design and detailing of the popular continuous-for-live-load connection system. An options for jointless bridge deck link-slab is shown in Fig. 1.
Journal of Infrastructure Preservation and Resilience, 2021
Within the last century, coastal structures for infrastructure applications have traditionally be... more Within the last century, coastal structures for infrastructure applications have traditionally been constructed with timber, structural steel, and/or steel-reinforced/prestressed concrete. Given asset owners’ desires for increased service-life; reduced maintenance, repair and rehabilitation; liability; resilience; and sustainability, it has become clear that traditional construction materials cannot reliably meet these challenges without periodic and costly intervention. Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites have been successfully utilized for durable bridge applications for several decades, demonstrating their ability to provide reduced maintenance costs, extend service life, and significantly increase design durability. This paper explores a representative sample of these applications, related specifically to internal reinforcement for concrete structures in both passive (RC) and pre-tensioned (PC) applications, and contrasts them with the time-dependent effect and cost of cor...
The development of a comprehensive bridge design national standard is paramount to allow for a wi... more The development of a comprehensive bridge design national standard is paramount to allow for a wider and safe deployment of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Reinforced Concrete (RC) in the transportation infrastructure. To respond to this demand, a task force of researchers, practitioners, and transportation officials lead by the University of Miami (UM), the University of South Carolina (USC), and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), has developed a draft of the second edition of the Bridge Design Guide Specifications for GFRP-RC (BDGS-GFRP), now under consideration by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) committee T6. This paper deals with the salient contents of the document, with specific emphasis on the design of flexural members. Compared to the first edition, changes were proposed to reflect the state-of-the-art from archival literature and harmonize the design philosophy with that of other authoritative national and international standards.
To support and promote the deployment of innovative technologies in infrastructure, it is 6 funda... more To support and promote the deployment of innovative technologies in infrastructure, it is 6 fundamental to quantify their implications in terms of both economic and environmental impacts. 7 Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars and Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strands are validated corrosion-resistant solutions for Reinforced Concrete (RC) and Prestressed Concrete (PC) structures. Studies on the performances of FRP reinforcement in seawater and saltcontaminated concrete have been conducted and show that the technology is a viable solution. Nevertheless, the economic and environmental implications of FRP-RC/PC deployment have not been fully investigated. This paper deals with the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analyses of an FRP-RC/PC bridge in Florida. The bridge is designed to be entirely reinforced with FRP bars and strands and does not include any Carbon Steel (CS) reinforcement. Furthermore, the deployment of seawater concrete in some of the elements of the bridge is considered. LCC and LCA analyses at the design stage are performed. Data regarding equipment, labor rates, consumables, fuel consumption and disposal were collected during the construction phase and the analysis is refined accordingly. The FRP-RC/PC bridge design is
Uploads
Papers by Steven Nolan