Pedestrian bridge as clarifying example of FRP-RC/PC design

Employment of corrosion-resistant reinforcement represents a widely-recognized effective strategy to ensure long-term durability of reinforced concrete (RC) and prestressed concrete (PC) structures. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have proved to be a reliable non-metallic solution, able to ensure both the required mechanical performance and corrosion resistance. FRP-RC infrastructural applications are currently spreading; conversely, FRP-PC bridges are still considered state of the art prototypes. Many are the conceptual and practical challenges accompanying this innovative technology: brittleness of FRP reinforcement, likelihood of tensioncontrolled failure, limitations on the initial pull force, limitations on the sustained load that the member can carry, and service requirements that may control the design. Reports published by ACI committee 440 do not yet address FRP-RC/PC provisions in a consistent way. Discrepancies exist on how ACI 440.1R and ACI 440.4R approach FRP-RC/PC design, having the latter not being updated since the first generation of FRP regulations. This paper deals with the philosophy behind the design of the precast Carbon FRP-PC/Basalt FRP-RC double-tee girders and the auxiliary Basalt FRP-RC/Glass FRP-RC members that constitute the structure of a recently built pedestrian bridge. This study is an attempt to address the challenges still preventing the wide acceptance of CFRP in prestress applications and to unify the design approach for FRP-RC/PC structures. This successful case-study validates the proposed rationale and supports a slight relaxation of the design limits in terms of initial pull force.