Design Optimization of an All-FRP Short-Span Bridge

by Phillip Burnside, West Virginia Univ, Morgantown, United States,
Ever Barbero, West Virginia Univ, Morgantown, United States,
Julio Davalos, West Virginia Univ, Morgantown, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Structural Engineering in Natural Hazards Mitigation

Abstract:

The objectives of this study are: a) to determine the feasibility of designing an all-FRP bridge, and b) to demonstrate the usefulness of optimization techniques in the design of FRP superstructures. A 40 ft. bridge under HS-20 loading is analyzed and optimized. Carbon and glass fibers in combination with polyester resin are used to compare the cost of both fibers. Simply-supported and jointless configurations are analyzed to explore the advantage of moment-resisting abutments on the optimization of the superstructure. Both deflection and buckling analysis are performed. Manufacturing constraints imposed by the state-of-the-art of pultrusion are incorporated into the optimization process.

Subject Headings: Bridge design | Fibers | Bridge abutments | Superstructures | Synthetic materials | Pultrusion | Glass reinforced plastics

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