Experimental evaluation of structural performance and practical applicability of GFRP reinforced railway bridge decks

This study experimentally investigated the structural behavior and applicability of GFRP-reinforced railway bridge deck slabs. Shear, flexural, cyclic loading, and fatigue tests were conducted on deck-only specimens and full-scale specimens simulating actual bridge deck systems. The full-scale specimens showed stable behavior under loads exceeding the design live load, and no failure occurred before reaching the loading-equipment capacity. After 3 million fatigue cycles, the stress in the GFRP reinforcement remained well below the allowable limit, with no significant performance degradation. The deck-only tests also confirmed that all specimens satisfied the required serviceability and strength criteria. GFRP-reinforced specimens exhibited higher shear capacities than the steel-reinforced specimen when adequate development length was provided. In addition, specimens with precast panels showed better shear and flexural performance than monolithic specimens, highlighting the structural benefits of the precast fabrication process.