Behavior and design of double-headed studs for bridge concrete deck-toprecast girder connection

In bridges, the deck slab or panels are usually connected to the supporting girders using various types of shear
connector like bent bars or threaded rods which make the interfaces significantly congested. For reducing this
congestion, bridge contractors normally use steel shear studs. The proposed new research is exploring the use
of double-headed fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) studs. FRP exhibits superior behavior over mild steel in terms
of excellent corrosion resistance and durability. The goal of this research is to understand how well the deck
connects to the precast girders using double-headed FRP studs. The Intern with his academic supervisors and
partner organization will investigate the flexural and shear performance of this composite slab-on-girder bridge
system through experimental testing, numerical analysis, and analytical studies. The proposed research will
provide the precast design community with simplified equations for estimating the flexural and shear capacity of
deck-to-girder systems using double-headed FRP studs.

Faculty Supervisor:

Mamdouh El-Badry;Muntasir Billah

Student:

Partner:

Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Calgary

Program: