ABC Connections Research Program FHWA Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center

FHWA’s bridge and foundation engineering research team continues to address stakeholder needs by developing innovative solutions that further the goals of accelerated bridge construction. Through a vertically integrated research program, the team is developing solutions that concurrently address many of the most vexing challenges of ABC, primarily centered around connection detail construction and performance. From material performance assessment, to connection tests, to full scale component tests, this research portfolio is cultivating concepts and carrying them through to implementation. For further information, contact: Ben Graybeal - FHWA Team Leader for Bridge & Foundation Engineering Research 202-493-3122, [email protected]

Material Performance

Characterization of Common PBE Grouts

Flow, strength, stiffness, shrinkage, cracking tendency, durability

Dimensional Stability of PBE Grouts

Test methods, comparative performance, internal curing

Interface Bond Performance of PBE Grouts to Precast Elements

Test methods, comparative performance, surface preparation, bonding agents

Connector Embedment Performance Rebar Lap Splice Connections

Bar type, bar diameter, bar coating, grout type, grout maturity, bar embedment, bar cover, bar spacing, staged construction closures

Strand Lap Splice Connections

Strand diameter, strand lap length

Deck-to-Girder Composite Connections

Connector type (extended stirrup or steel shear stud), grout type, fatigue shear stress, steel stud pocket spacing

Structural Component Performance PBE Decks with Rebar Lap Splice Connections

Longitudinal or transverse connections, deck panels or decked elements

Adjacent Box Beam Connections

Partial for full depth connections, transverse post-tensioning force, reinforced or unreinforced connection

Prestressed Girder Strand Splice Connections

Spliced girder connections without post-tensioning, Continuous for live load connections

Deck Panel to Girder Composite Connections Deck panels with varying pocket spacing Hidden connections without pockets

FHWA ABC Connections Research Program Select References as of January 2015

Field-Cast Connections for Modular Components – Yuan, J., B. Graybeal, and Z. Haber, “Field-Cast Connections for Prefabricated Bridge Elements,” Proceedings: 2014 National Accelerated Bridge Construction Conference, Miami, FL, December 2014. – Provines, J., and J. Ocel, “Strength & Fatigue Resistance of Shear Stud Connectors.” Proceedings: 2014 National Accelerated Bridge Construction Conference, Miami, FL, December 2014. – Graybeal, B., “Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Connections for Precast Concrete Bridge Decks,” PCI Journal, V. 59, No. 4, Fall 2014, pp. 48-62. – Yuan, J., and B. Graybeal, “Bond Behavior of Reinforcing Steel in Ultra-High Performance Concrete,” FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Report No. FHWA-HRT-14-090, October 2014, 78 pp. – Graybeal, B., “Ultra-High Performance Concrete Composite Connections for Precast Concrete Bridge Decks,” NTIS Report No. PB 2012-107569, May 2012, 109 pp. – Graybeal, B., “Behavior of Field-Cast Ultra-High Performance Concrete Bridge Deck Connections Under Cyclic and Static Structural Loading,” NTIS Report No. PB2011-101995, Nov. 2010, 106 pp. – Graybeal, B., “Fatigue Response of an Ultra-High Performance Concrete Field-Cast Bridge Deck Connection,” Proc., 2011 Transportation Research Board Conference, Washington D.C., January 2011, 12 pp. – Graybeal, B., “Splice Length of Prestressing Strands in Field-Cast UHPC Connections,” Materials and Structures, March 2014, 9 pp. – Swenty, M., and B. Graybeal, “Effects of Early Age Differential Displacements on Concrete–Bar Bond in the Connections of Staged Constructions,” Materials and Structures, August 2014, 12 pp. Material Assessment and Performance – De la Varga, I., and B. Graybeal, “Dimensional Stability of Grout-Type Materials Used as Connections between Prefabricated Concrete Elements,” ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, November 2014, 10 pp. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.19435533.0001212. – Swenty, M., and B. Graybeal, “Material Characterization of Field-Cast Connection Grouts,” FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Report No. FHWA-HRT-13-041, 2013, 91 pp. (National Technical Information Service No. PB2013-130231) – Graybeal, B., “Material Property Characterization of Ultra-High Performance Concrete,” FHWA Report HRT-06-103, August 2006, 186 pp. – Graybeal, B., and M. Davis, “Cylinder or Cube: Strength Testing of 80 to 200 MPa (11.6 to 29 ksi) Ultra-High-Performance FiberReinforced Concrete,” ACI Materials Journal, V. 105, No. 6, Nov-Dec 2008, pp. 603-609. – Graybeal, B., “Compressive Behavior of Ultra-High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete,” ACI Materials Journal, V. 104, No. 2, March-April 2007, pp. 146-152. – Graybeal, B. and J. Tanesi, “Durability of an Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete,” ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, V. 19, No. 10, October 2007, pp. 850-854. – Graybeal, B., and F. Baby, “Development of a Direct Tension Test Method for Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete,” ACI Materials Journal, V. 110, No. 2. March-April 2013, pp. 177-186. – Graybeal, B., and B. Stone, “Compression Response of a Rapid-Strengthening Ultra-High Performance Concrete Formulation,” NTIS Report No. PB2012-112545, September 2012, 66 pp. – Wille, K., and C. Boisvert-Cotulio “Development of Non-Proprietary Ultra-High Performance Concrete for Use in the Highway Bridge Sector,” NTIS Report No. PB2013-110587, October 2013, 59 pp. UHPC State-of-the-Art – Russell, H., and B. Graybeal, “Ultra-High Performance Concrete: A State-of-the Art Report for the Bridge Community,” FHWA Report HRT-13-060, June 2013, 171 pp. UHPC Connections Design and Construction Guidance – Graybeal, B., “Design and Construction of Field-Cast UHPC Connections,” FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Report No. FHWA-HRT-14-084, October 2014, 36 pp. Research Reports Currently Being Drafted for Future Release • Haber, Z., and B. Graybeal, “Performance of Deck-Level Field-Cast Grouted Connections for Prefabricated Bridge Deck Elements,” FHWA Report • Yuan, J., and B. Graybeal, “Performance of Adjacent Box Beam Connections,” FHWA Report • Yuan, J., and B. Graybeal, “Influence of Steel Fiber Reinforcement Content on Bond Performance of Reinforcing Bars in UHPC,” FHWA Report • De la Varga, I, and B. Graybeal, “Interface Bond Performance of Prefabricated Bridge Component Grouts,” FHWA Report • De la Varga, I, and B. Graybeal, “Dimensional Stability of Prefabricated Bridge Component Grouts,” FHWA Report • Provines, J., and J. Ocel, “Strength & Fatigue Resistance of Shear Stud Connectors,” FHWA Report