Experimental Study on the Mechanical Properties of Reactive Powder Concrete Ultra-Thin Precast Slab for Bridge I-Beam Joints

In the domain of bridge I-beam joint construction, conventional approaches such as cast-in-place concrete with suspended formwork and ordinary reinforced concrete precast slabs entail numerous limitations. The former features complex procedures, elevated costs, and significant safety risks, while the latter is hindered by the heavy weight of precast slabs, which causes difficulties in transportation and hoisting, inconvenient installation, and high costs. Reactive powder concrete ultra-thin precast slab (RPCUPS) is regarded as a potential solution due to its superior properties. Nevertheless, at present, there is an acute paucity of experience and research regarding the application of RPCUPS in bridge I-beam joints, particularly on a large scale. In a certain actual engineering project, a scheme was proposed to employ RPCUPS with a mere thickness of 20 mm in the bridge I-beam joints. In this scheme, the quantity of slabs is substantial, amounting to over 600,000. This constitutes the research gap and impetus of this study, with the aim of filling the existing knowledge void and providing technical support for engineering endeavors. This research carried out an extensive experimental test to systematically investigate the mechanical properties and safety of RPCUPS. Firstly, the material performance experiments were conducted to determine the manufacturing process of RPCUPS that meets the performance requirements. Subsequently, loading experiments on specimens under multiple working conditions were performed to disclose the cracking load and ultimate load of the two main types of RPCUPS and to analyze the influences of fiber type, mixing type, steel mesh, and slab thickness on the mechanical properties of RPCUPS (keeps the same volume rate of steel in a slab). Key findings encompass the outstanding mechanical properties and high safety factors of RPCUPS under diverse working conditions. Finally, in light of the actual construction environment, safety verification of temporary loading during actual construction was executed to furnish solid technical support for the practical engineering application of RPCUPS. The experimental results indicate that RPCUPS has been successfully applied on a large scale in actual engineering projects, not only without augmenting the cost but also significantly reducing the construction period by approximately five months, conspicuously enhancing the construction efficiency. These discoveries not only validate the feasibility of RPCUPS in bridge I-beam joint construction but also offer valuable references and guidance for similar future projects.

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