Long-term Application of Carbon Fiber Composite Cable Tendon in the Prestressed Concrete Bridge-Shinmiya Bridge in Japan

Abstract

Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (Carbon Fiber Composite Cable, CFCC) has the outstanding features in comparison with regular steel. In October 1988, CFCC was applied as the tensioning material in main girders of new Shinmiya Bridge in Ishikawa, Japan. This was the first bridge in Japan and in the world, which CFCC tendons were used in the prestressed concrete bridge to counter salt damage. To investigate the serviceability and durability of the main girders and CFCC, three full-scale test girders were fabricated in 1988. At the same time, a bending experiment was conducted on one girder to investigate the ultimate behavior, load carrying capacity of the PC girder, as well the strain behavior of the CFCC. Besides, two PC girders were placed next to the main girders of the bridge in the same conditions. One of them was used for a destructive test after six years of the construction time (1994). In this study, another test specimen that was exposed to the actual corrosive environment after nearly 30 years was subjected to a destructive test by bending load. The load carrying capacity of the girder was clarified, and the durability of the PC girders using CFCC tendon was confirmed.