Fatigue performance of non‐steam curing
UHPC
‐steel bridge deck: Model tests and field evaluation
Tian Changjin, Du Yefeng, Wang Youzhi, An Ran, Zhang Xiaoning, Teng Lin Abstract
To ensure the safe service performance of non‐steam‐curing UHPC–steel composite structures over their entire life cycle, this study conducted fatigue performance model tests under different curing regimes, revealing the effects of curing conditions on strain, deflection, and relative slip of UHPC–steel composites. Subsequently, field tests were conducted on non‐steam‐curing UHPC–steel composite decks to evaluate their fatigue performance in the strengthening of existing bridges, thereby confirming the practical feasibility of non‐steam‐curing UHPC–steel composite deck structures. The results indicate that, under cyclic loading, the differences in strain, deflection, and relative slip between non‐steam‐curing and steam‐curing regimes are minor, suggesting that both curing methods provide favorable fatigue performance for UHPC–steel composites. Field tests further demonstrated that, after overlaying with a non‐steam‐curing UHPC layer, the stress amplitudes of all fatigue details were significantly reduced. The non‐steam‐curing UHPC overlay integrates with the existing steel deck into a unified structural system, enhances local stiffness, and markedly decreases the stress levels of various fatigue‐prone details. This study highlights the significance of promoting the application of non‐steam‐curing UHPC in bridge engineering.