Experimental behavior of poly methyl methacrylate polymer concrete for bridge deck bulb tee girders longitudinal field joints

As an emerging practice of accelerated bridge construction (ABC), top flanges of precast deck bulb tee girders (DBTs) can be longitudinally connected on-site using ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) field joints. Robust UHPC mixes can be proprietary, expensive and might need special expertise to work with it. Thus, exploring viability of alternative materials for such field joints could be beneficial. Poly Methyl Methacrylate Polymer concrete (PMMA-PC) is another construction material with superior mechanical properties that have been used for overlays and can provide a potential alternative to UHPC for field joints. The objective of this study is to investigate the structural performance of PMMA-PC for DBTs longitudinal field joints and compare it to UHPC. An experimental investigation was conducted to test two full-scale specimens, with representative DBTs flanges/slabs, under vertical loading at the University of Nevada, Reno. The two specimens were identical except for field joint material (UHPC versus PMMA-PC). The structural response was evaluated for connection performance under the AASHTO service and ultimate loads, peak strength, damage progression and mode of failure, and local steel reinforcement strains. The results demonstrated that PMMA-PC can be successfully used for longitudinal field joints of the DBTs with comparable performance to UHPC field joints.