Structural performance of the GFRP-reinforced precast concrete no-gap boat ramp plank

This study evaluated a new design of boat ramp planks called the “no-gap” concept where individual precast concrete planks reinforced internally with glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) are linked through GFRP rods to provide integrity. The no-gap boat ramp provides an efficient boating infrastructure with reduced maintenance and ease of manufacturing and assembly process, as well as mitigates the risk of injury, as it removes the grout-filled gap that often requires repairs. Five large-scale GFRP-reinforced precast concrete planks with one, two and three segments were manufactured, assembled, and tested to evaluate their performance including load-carrying capacity, strain behaviour, cracking propagation, and failure mechanisms. The study revealed that the presence of the GFRP rod can improve the post-failure behaviour of the GFRP-reinforced precast concrete plank segment. Under flexural-shear loading, joint opening, stress concentration on the rod, and concrete crushing at the joint region were observed. Under only shear loading conditions, the no-gap plank displayed increased joint rotation and stiffness with interlaminar failure of the rod. The gaps in the joint have a negative effect on the flexural performance of the segmental plank, resulting in 37 % and 23 % reductions in initial stiffness and load-carrying capacity, respectively. The numerical model which considers the non-linearity of the concrete, accurately describes the behaviour of the no-gap concrete segmental plank. • New design of GFRP-reinforced concrete boat ramp plank was tested and analysed. • Influence of GFRP rod appearance, gap in the joint, and loading configuration are studied. • Flexural capacity and stiffness, load-strain behaviour, and failure behaviour are presented. • Residual displacement and deflection along the length using DIC have been investigated. • Numerical evaluation of the flexural behaviour is conducted.