Browsing by Author "Hayes, Michael David"

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    Characterization and Modeling of a Fiber-Reinforced Polymeric Composite Structural Beam and Bridge Structure for Use in the Tom's Creek Bridge Rehabilitation Project
    Hayes, Michael David (Virginia Tech, 1998-12-12)
    Fiber reinforced polymeric (FRP) composite materials are beginning to find use in construction and infrastructure applications. Composite members may potentially provide more durable replacements for steel and concrete in primary and secondary bridge structures, but the experience with composites in these applications is minimal. Recently, however, a number of groups in the United States have constructed short-span traffic bridges utilizing FRP members. These demonstration cases will facilitate the development of design guidelines and durability data for FRP materials. The Tom's Creek Bridge rehabilitation is one such project that utilizes a hybrid FRP composite beam in an actual field application. This thesis details much of the experimental work conducted in conjunction with the Tom's Creek Bridge rehabilitation. All of the composite beams used in the rehabilitation were first proof tested in four-point bending. A mock-up of the bridge was then constructed in the laboratory using the actual FRP beams and timber decking. The mock-up was tested in several static loading schemes to evaluate the bridge response under HS20 loading. The lab testing indicated a deflection criterion of nearly L/200; the actual field structure was stiffer at L/450. This was attributed to the difference in boundary conditions for the girders and timber panels. Finally, the bridge response was verified with an analytical model that treats the bridge structure as a wood beam resting upon discrete elastic springs. The model permits both bending and torsional stiffness in the composite beams, as well as shear deformation. A parametric study was conducted utilizing this model and a mechanics of laminated beam theory to provide recommendations for alternate bridge designs and modified composite beam designs.
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    Implementation and Non-Destructive Evaluation of Composite Structural Shapes in the Tom's Creek Bridge
    Hayes, Michael David; Haramis, John Emmanuel II; Lesko, John J.; Cousins, Thomas E.; Duke, John C. Jr.; Weyers, Richard E. (Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research, 2000-05-01)
    A bridge rehabilitation utilizing a hybrid fiber reinforced polymeric composite has been completed in Blacksburg, Virginia. This project involved replacing the superstructure in the Tom's Creek Bridge, a rural short-span traffic bridge with a timber deck and corroded steel girders, with a glue-laminated timber deck on composite girders. In order to verify the bridge design and to address construction issues prior to the rehabilitation, a full-scale mock-up of the bridge was built and tested in the laboratory. This set-up utilized the actual composite beams, glue-laminated timber deck panels, and geometry to be implemented in the rehabilitation. After the rehabilitation was completed, the bridge was field tested under a known truckload. Both tests examined service load deflections, girder strains, load distribution, the degree of composite action, inter-panel deck deflections, and impact factor. The field test results indicate a service load deflection of L/400 under moving loads and a factor of safety of over 7 using the projected A-allowable for beam flexural strength. The data from the field test serves as a baseline reference for future field durability assessments as part of a long-term performance and durability study.
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    Structural Analysis of a Pultruded Composite Beam: Shear Stiffness Determination and Strength and Fatigue Life Predictions
    Hayes, Michael David (Virginia Tech, 2003-11-18)
    This dissertation is focused on understanding the performance of a particular fiber-reinforced polymeric composite structural beam, a 91.4 cm (36 inch) deep pultruded double-web beam (DWB) designed for bridge construction. Part 1 focuses on calculating the Timoshenko shear stiffness of the DWB and understanding what factors may introduce error in the experimental measurement of the quantity for this and other sections. Laminated beam theory and finite element analysis (FEA) were used to estimate the shear stiffness. Several references in the literature have hypothesized an increase in the effective measured shear stiffness due to warping. A third order laminated beam theory (TLBT) was derived to explore this concept, and the warping effect was found to be negligible. Furthermore, FEA results actually indicate a decrease in the effective shear stiffness at shorter spans for simple boundary conditions. This effect was attributed to transverse compression at the load points and supports. The higher order sandwich theory of Frostig shows promise for estimating the compression related error in the shear stiffness for thin-walled beams. Part 2 attempts to identify the failure mechanism(s) under quasi-static loading and to develop a strength prediction for the DWB. FEA was utilized to investigate two possible failure modes in the top flange: compression failure of the carbon fiber plies and delamination at the free edges or taper regions. The onset of delamination was predicted using a strength-based approach, and the stress analysis was accomplished using a successive sub-modeling approach in ANSYS. The results of the delamination analyses were inconclusive, but the predicted strengths based on the compression failure mode show excellent agreement with the experimental data. A fatigue life prediction, assuming compression failure, was also developed using the remaining strength and critical element concepts of Reifsnider et al. One DWB fatigued at about 30% of the ultimate capacity showed no signs of damage after 4.9 million cycles, although the predicted number of cycles to failure was 4.4 million. A test on a second beam at about 60% of the ultimate capacity was incomplete at the time of publication. Thus, the success of the fatigue life prediction was not confirmed.