Abstract

The paper presents the scope of load tests carried out on an innovative shell composite footbridge. The tested footbridge was manufactured in one production cycle and has no components made from materials other than GFRP laminates and PET foam. The load tests, performed on a 14-m long structure, were the final stage of a research program in the Fobridge project carried out in cooperation with: Gdańsk University of Technology (leader), Military University of Technology in Warsaw, and ROMA Co. Ltd.; and co-financed by NCBR. The aim of the tests was to confirm whether the complex U-shape sandwich structure behaves correctly. The design and technological processes involved in constructing this innovative footbridge required the solving of many problems: absence of standards for design of composite footbridges, lack of standardized material data, lack of guidelines for calculation and evaluation of material strength, and no guidelines for infusion of large, thick sandwich elements. Obtaining answers during the design process demanded extensive experimental tests, development of material models, validation of models, updating parameters and extensive numerical parametric studies. The technological aspects of infusion were tested in numerous trials involving the selection of material parameters and control of the infusion parameters. All scientific validation tests were successfully completed and market assessment showed that the proposed product has potential applications; it can be used for overcoming obstacles in rural areas and cities, as well as in regions affected by natural disasters. Load testing included static and dynamic tests. During the former, the span was examined at 117 independent measurement points. The footbridge was loaded with concrete slabs in different configurations. Their total weight ranged from 140 kN up to 202 kN. The applied load at the most heavily loaded structural points caused an effect from 89% to 120%, compared to the load specified by standards (5 kN/m2 ). Dynamic tests included standard actions (walking, running, synchronous jumps) as well as aggressive tests, all designed to confirm the usability of the footbridge. The performed trials allowed the identification of the modal and damping parameters of the structure. The designated first natural frequency with a value of 7.8 Hz confirmed the correctness of the U-shape cross-section design due to its significant structural rigidity.

Citations

Authors (4)