Experimental study on bending performance of different types of UHPC in bridge stitching joint

Abstract

In this research, the rapid bridge splicing technology was studied for the Shanghai Jiyang Road viaduct bridge splicing project. In the experimental study, the form of stitching joint was designed to best suit the existing bridge, and three types of ultra-high performance concrete materials (high strain-hardening I type, high strain-hardening II type and strain softening type) were adopted. In the experiment, asymmetrical loading was used to simulate the uneven settlement between the new and the existing bridge. The failure mode and structural performance of the joint under the uneven settlement was studied. The structural performance, bearing capacity and crack control ability were compared among different test models regarding the joint types and the joint materials. Secondly, the test results were verified with the finite element analysis results. Parametric analysis is then carried out using the finite element model. The investigated factors include the constitutive models of the joint material, the free length and the joint thickness. The results showed that the finite element results were in good agreement with the test results. The study in this paper has successfully guided the actual engineering construction and achieved good results, which can be used for reference for similar projects in the future.