Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02569814 2006-12-01
BRIDGE DECK PANEL COUPLING SYSTEM AND METHOD THERFOR
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bridge connection system. In particular,
the present invention
relates to a system for securing a bridge deck to an underlying substructure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bridge structures are exposed to a myriad of forces, each of which capable of
creating structural
failure. One way of mitigating any potential failure is to have the bridge
superstructure (deck
panels) and substructure act as a unified structure. Several attempts at
creating a unified
structure have been proposed. For example, in US 5,311,629, a pre-cast slab
having a number of
connecting projections and plates was proposed. This solution, however, fails
to achieve the
ideal result because the pre-cast deck slabs have different casual cambers and
as a result the bolt
attachments will transmit additional uncontrolled stresses to the inside of
the pre-cast slab. Other
proposed solutions, such as US 6,453,495 and US 6,905,636, are difficult to
implement,
requiring a large number of bolts or studs to deal with any shear forces.
Additional
complications arise when new bridge materials (composites) are used, or when
the bridge deck
and the substructure are comprised of different materials.
There remains a need for a bridge connection system that mitigates or obviates
at least some of
the above problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A bridge deck panel connection system is provided. The system comprises means
for connecting
a composite wood-glass fibre reinforced polymer bridge deck panel to an
underlying bridge
substructure. The system also comprises means for connecting the deck panel to
an adjacent
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deck panel to create a continuous deck system. The connected deck panels,
together with the
substructure, create a solid system working in combined operation under
traffic loads.
A connection system for connecting a composite wood-glass fibre reinforced
polymer bridge
deck panel to an underlying bridge substructure is provided. The deck panel
comprises a
mounting surface that is connectable to the substructure and a traffic
surface, opposite the
mounting surface. The system comprises an anchor that is positionable within
the panel from the
traffic surface to extend from the mounting surface by an amount sufficient to
permit connection
to the substructure when the panel is in an installed configuration; securing
means which engage
the extended portion of the anchor so as to secure the panel to the
substructure; and, a fibre-
reinforced epoxy mat that is disposable between the deck panel and
substructure, and is
configured to adhere to the substructure and mounting surface. The mat has
been cured to a
degree sufficient to bear a stress resulting from the panel being secured to
the substructure, and,
allowed to cure finally in its stressed state.
The anchor may comprise a plate; a rod that extends from the plate to the
mounting surface, the
plate and rod are positionable within the panel; and, a connector pin that
extends from the rod
and defines the extended portion of the anchor.
The deck panel may comprise a plurality of inter-connected beam elements, each
of which
comprising a longitudinal axis. The beams being aligned side-by-side with the
axes being
generally parallel to each other. The panel may also comprise a glass fibre
reinforced polymer
casing that encases the inter-connected beam elements. The encased beam
elements define a
mounting surface that is connectable to the substructure and a traffic
surface, opposite the
mounting surface. The anchor is positionable within the encased panel.
The connection system may further comprise a lateral anchor for connecting the
deck panel to an
adjacent deck panel, the lateral anchor is positionable within the deck panel
to extend from a
connecting side of the deck panel by an amount sufficient to overlap with a
lateral anchor of the
adjacent deck panel; a non-shrinking binder for filling the overlap between
the adjacent panels; a
mounting-surface glass fibre reinforced apron that is securable to the
mounting surfaces of the
adjacent panels to span the overlap; and, a traffic-surface glass fibre
reinforced apron that is
securable to the traffic surfaces of the adjacent panels to span the overlap.
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The binder may be a polymer non-shrinking concrete or grout.
The extended portion of the reinforcing bar may be bent.
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 illustrates a system in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
Figure 2 illustrates an element of the system of figure 1;
Figures 3a and 3b illustrate alternate installations of the system of figure
1;
Figure 4 illustrates a further aspect of the connection system in accordance
with an embodiment
of the present invention;
Figure 5 illustrates a bridge deck panel in accordance with an embodiment of
the present
invention;
Figure 6 illustrates an alternate configuration of the aspect of Figure 4;
Figure 7 illustrates the steps in a method for connecting a deck panel to an
underlying
substructure; and,
Figure 8 illustrates a system in accordance with an alternate embodiment of
the present invention
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to Figure 1, a connection system 10 for connecting a composite wood-
glass fibre
reinforced polymer bridge deck panel 11 to an underlying bridge substructure
13 is illustrated.
The deck panel 11 comprises a mounting surface 15 connectable to the
substructure 13 and a
traffic surface 17, opposite the mounting surface 15. The system 10 comprises
an anchor 19
positionable within the panel 11 from the traffic surface 17 to extend from
the mounting surface
15 by an amount sufficient to permit connection to the substructure 13 when
the panel 11 is in an
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installed configuration; securing means 21 which engage the extended portion
of the anchor 19
so as to secure the panel 11 to the substructure 13; and, a fibre-reinforced
epoxy mat 23 that is
disposable between the deck panel 11 and substructure 13, and is configured to
adhere to the
substructure 13 and mounting surface 15. The mat 23 has been cured to a degree
sufficient to
bear a stress resulting from the panel 11 being secured to the substructure
13, and, allowed to
cure finally in its stressed state.
The substructure 13 may be an I-beam (Figure 3a) or a box beam (Figure 3b).
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the anchor 19 comprises a plate 25; a rod 27
that extends from the
plate 25 to the mounting surface 15. The plate 25 and rod 27 are positionable
within the panel
11. The anchor also comprises a connector pin 29 that extends from the rod 27
and defines the
extended portion 31 of the anchor 19 (as is illustrated in Figure 8). The
anchor 19 preferably
comprises a second rod 27 that extends from the plate 25 and a second
connector pin 29 that
extends from the second rod 27 (as is illustrated in Figure 1). The rods 27
include a pocket 53
which is configured to receive the connector pin 29. The pocket 53 and pin 29
are
complementarily threaded so as to facilitate the pin's 29 threading into the
pocket 53. The
particular engagement configuration selected may be altered to suit the
particular decking
requirements.
In a preferred embodiment, the anchor 19 comprises a metal, such as steel. The
plate 25 and
rods 27 preferably comprise a steel having a tensile strength of about 400
megapascals (MPa).
The rods 27 are preferable welded to the plate 25. The connector pins 29
preferably comprise a
high strength steel, having a tensile strength of about 830 MPa.
The connector pin 29 preferably comprises another threaded portion and the
securing means 21
is a nut that threads onto the threaded pin portion. However, the means by
which the securing
means 21 engages the connector pin 29 may be selected to suit the particular
dictates of the
bridge application.
Referring to figures 1 and 5, the deck panel 11 comprises a plurality of inter-
connected glulam
beam elements 33, each of which comprising a longitudinal axis 35. The beams
33 are aligned
side-by-side with the axes 35 generally parallel to each other. The panel 11
also comprises a
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glass fibre reinforced polymer casing 37 encasing the inter-connected beam
elements 33. One of
the functions served by the encasing 37 is to protect the glulam beam elements
33 from external
environmental elements (such as slat, water, etc.), which could ultimately
compromise the
structural integrity and longevity of the panel 11. The encased beam elements
33 define the
mounting surface 15 that is connectable to the substructure 13 and the traffic
surface 17, opposite
the mounting surface 15. The anchor 19 is positionable within the encased deck
panel 11.
In a preferred embodiment, the plate 25 - rods 27 portion of the anchor 19 is
positioned in the
panel 11 prior to the panel 11 being encased in the casing 37. The respective
pockets 53 of the
rods 27 are corked with a material that extends to the mounting surface 15.
The cork may then
be removed without compromising the integrity of the casing 37, and the
connector pin 29 may
then engage the pocket 53.
The epoxy mat 23 has a thickness sufficient to provide an adhering surface for
the mounting
surface 15 and the substructure 13. Preferably, the epoxy mat 23 has a
thickness of at least 15
mm. In the present embodiment the epoxy mat 23 has a thickness of between 15
mm and 20
mm. The fibre employed in the present embodiment is a randomly oriented
fibreglass.
Referring to Figure 4, a further aspect of the connection system 10 is
illustrated. The system 10
further comprises a lateral anchor 39 for connecting the deck panel 11 to an
adjacent deck panel
11 a. The lateral anchor 39 is positionable within the deck panel 11 to extend
from a connecting
side 41 of the deck panel 11 by an amount sufficient to overlap with a lateral
anchor 39a of the
adjacent deck panel l la. The system 10 also comprises a non-shrinking binder
43 for filling the
overlap between the adjacent panels 11,11a; a mounting-surface glass fibre
reinforced apron 45
that is securable to the mounting surfaces 15 of the adjacent panels 11,1 la
to span the overlap;
and, a traffic-surface glass fibre reinforced apron 47 that is securable to
the traffic surfaces 17 of
the adjacent panels 11,11 a to span the overlap.
In a preferred embodiment, the connection system 10 still further comprising a
transverse
reinforcing member 49 that is positionable in the overlap. The member 49 is
preferably a steel
reinforcing bar that exends the length of the connecting side 41. In the
present embodiment, U
shaped transverse member 55 is also employed.
CA 02569814 2006-12-01
The binder 43 is preferably a polymer non-shrinking concrete or grout that is
combined with a
coarse aggregate.
The lateral anchor 39 is a reinforcing bar, the extended portion of which is
bent at approximately
90o. The bend is made preferably in the direction to compensate for tensile
forces, away from
the surface bearing tensile forces.
The reinforcing bar is positionable within the panel 11 to a depth dictated by
the load to be borne
by the deck panel 11. In the present embodiment, the reinforcing bar is
positioned to full depth
of the panel, and extending beyond an opposing connecting side (not shown). In
the present
embodiment, the lateral anchor 39 is positioned within the panel 11 prior to
the panel 11 being
encased in the deck panel casing 37. The extended portion of the lateral
anchor 39 is also bent
prior to the encasing. In this manner, the integrity of the casing 37 is
maintained.
In the present embodiment, a plurality of lateral anchors 39 is positioned
within the panel 11.
The aprons 45,47 are glued to the glass fibre reinforced polymer casing of the
deck panel and
extend the length of the connecting side. The traffic-surface apron 47 is a
glass fibre reinforced
strip that in the present embodiment is approximately 3mm thick and 570mm
wide. The
mounting surface apron 45, in the present embodiment, is a fibreglass epoxy
mat that is squeezed
to approximately 10mm after prestressing. Once squeezed, the portion of the
apron 45 that
resides in the overlap pushes up into the overlap (Figure 6), thereby creating
a shear key 57 that
contributes to the overall shear resistance of the deck panel 11 connection to
the substructure 13.
Alternately, the mounting surface apron 45 may be composed identically to the
traffic surface
apron 47.
Referring to Figure 4, the further aspect of the connection system 10 may
alternately be
described as a connection system for connecting a composite wood-glass fibre
reinforced
polymer bridge deck panel 11 to an adjacent deck panel l la, the respective
deck panels 11,11a
having a mounting surface 15 connectable to an underlying bridge substructure
13 and a traffic
surface 17, opposite the mounting surface 15. The system comprises a lateral
anchor 39
positionable within the deck panel 11 to extend from a connecting side 41 of
the deck panel 11
by an amount sufficient to overlap with a lateral anchor 39a of the adjacent
deck panel 11 a; a
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polymer non-shrinking binder 43 for filling the overlap between the adjacent
panels 11,11a; a
mounting-surface glass fibre reinforced apron 45 that is securable to the
mounting surfaces 15 of
the adjacent panels 11,11 a to span the overlap; and, a traffic-surface glass
fibre reinforced apron
47 that is securable to the traffic surfaces 17 of the adjacent panels l l,l
la to span the overlap.
Referring to Figures 1 and 5, a composite wood-glass fibre reinforced polymer
bridge deck panel
11 is illustrated. The panel 11 is connectable to a bridge substructure 13.
The deck panel 11
comprises a plurality of inter-connected beam elements 33, each of which
comprising a
longitudinal axis 35, the beams 33 being aligned side-by-side with the axes 35
being generally
parallel to each other; a glass fibre reinforced polymer casing 37 encasing
the inter-connected
beam elements 33, the encased beam elements 33 define a mounting surface 15
that is
connectable to the substructure 13 and a traffic surface 17, opposite the
mounting surface 15; an
anchor 39 positioned within the encased panel 11 from the traffic surface 17
and extending from
the mounting surface 15 by an amount sufficient to permit connection to the
substructure 13
when the panel 11 is in an installed configuration. The mounting face 15 is
configured to receive
a fibre-reinforced epoxy mat 23 that is disposed between the deck panel 11 and
substructure 13
and is configured to adhere to the substructure 13 and mounting surface 15.
The mat 23 is
positioned after having been cured to a degree sufficient to bear a stress
resulting from the panel
11 being secured to the substructure 13. Once stressed, the mat 23 is allowed
to cure finally in
its stressed state.
Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the deck panel 11 may be described as further
comprising a lateral
anchor 39 for connecting the deck panel 11 to an adjacent deck panel l la, the
lateral anchor 39
being positioned within the deck panel 11 to extend from a connecting side 41
of the deck panel
11 by an amount sufficient to overlap with a lateral anchor 39a of the
adjacent deck panel 11 a.
The connecting side 41 is configured to receive a polymer non-shrinking binder
43 disposed
within the overlap between the adjacent panels l l,lla. The mounting-surface
15 adjacent the
connecting side 41 is configured to receive a glass fibre reinforced apron 45
securable to the
mounting surfaces 15 of the adjacent panels 11,1 la to span the overlap; and,
the traffic-surface
17 adjacent the connecting side 41 is configured to receive a glass fibre
reinforced apron 47 that
is securable to the traffic surfaces 17 of the adjacent panels 11,11 a to span
the overlap.
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Referring to figure 7, a flowchart of the steps in a method for connecting a
composite wood-glass
fibre reinforced polymer bridge deck panel to an underlying bridge
substructure is illustrated. At
step 100, an uncured fibre-reinforced epoxy mat is positioned at a mounting
location on the
substructure. At step 110, the mat is permitted to cure to a degree sufficient
to bear a stress
resulting from the panel being secured to the substructure. The deck panel is
then secured to the
substructure (step 120). At step 130, the mat is allowed to cure finally in
its stressed state.
The above description is intended in an illustrative rather than restrictive
sense. Variations may
be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention
as defined by the claims set out below.
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