Study on the Robust Bridge Deck Pavement System Based on Horseshoe-Shaped Shear Keys.

Area of Science:

• Civil Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional concrete bridge decks use steel mesh, facing issues like cracking, poor bond strength, and mesh misalignment.
• These limitations necessitate improved composite bridge deck systems for enhanced durability and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel fiber-reinforced concrete bridge deck overlay system utilizing a horseshoe-shaped shear key.
• To optimize concrete composition and interface bonding for improved mechanical properties of composite bridge decks.

Main Methods:

• Utilized fiber-reinforced concrete for the bridge deck overlay and a horseshoe-shaped shear key for composite connection.
• Investigated compressive and splitting tensile strengths of various composite systems with optimized concrete and bonding agents.
• Evaluated the performance of steel fibers against POM and PP fibers in the concrete overlay.

Main Results:

• The horseshoe-shaped shear key significantly enhanced splitting tensile strength while preserving compressive strength.
• Steel fiber-reinforced concrete showed superior performance over POM and PP fibers.
• C40 strength grade was identified as optimal for the deck overlay concrete, balancing strength and stability.
• The YJ-302 interface bonding agent further improved the mechanical properties of the composite system.

Conclusions:

• The developed composite bridge deck system with horseshoe-shaped shear keys offers superior performance over traditional methods.
• Optimized steel fiber-reinforced concrete, particularly at C40 grade, is highly effective for bridge deck overlays.
• Interface bonding agents play a crucial role in maximizing the mechanical efficiency of composite bridge deck structures.