Abstract:
To achieve a reliability-based design provisions for the flexural strength of the concrete bridge girders prestressed with bonded carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) reinforcements, this paper first establishes a design space of 32 benchmark bridges. This space covers a range of common height-to-span ratios and two types of flexural failure modes (tensile failure and compressive failure). Subsequently, statistical parameters for the flexural strength model are estimated based on an extensive experimental database of 115 beams from the existing literature. On this basis, the checking point method is applied to conduct a reliability analysis and calibrate the partial material factors associated with prestressed CFRP
γf. The accuracy of the results obtained from the checking point method is verified by the Monte Carlo simulation. The results show that increasing the value of
γf from 1.2 to 1.3 leads to an approximate 0.5 increase in the reliability index β for tension-controlled girders. However, for the compression-controlled girders, the variation in
γf has an insignificant effect on their reliability indexes. To meet a uniform target reliability level for brittle failure, as specified in JTG 2120−2020, a prestressed CFRP partial material factor of 1.3 is recommended. Finally, a probabilistic analysis of flexural failure modes of CFRP prestressed concrete beams is conducted to determine the transition region where tension failure and compression failure are possible (0.7
ρb<
ρ≤1.5
ρb, where
ρb is the balanced failure mode). As a result, a minimum flexural reinforcement ratio of 1.5
ρb is proposed to ensure a compression failure mode.