| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/L40281/01 |
| Title: |
THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR AND DESIGN OPTIMISATION OF ASPHALTIC PLUG BRIDGE DECK EXPANSION JOINTS |
| Principal Investigator: |
Imbabi, Dr MS |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Engineering |
| Organisation: |
University of Aberdeen |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
30 September 1997 |
Ends: |
29 September 2000 |
Value (£): |
141,250
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Civil Engineering Materials |
Pavement Engineering |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Transport Systems and Vehicles |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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Asphaltic Plug Joints (APJs) are widely used in the UK for accommodating structural movement in motorway bridges. However, early deterioration and premature failure of these joints is widespread. A conservative estimate of the replacement cost of these joints, by the Transport Research Laboratory, is around 20 million per annum across the UK. Our best guess is that 50% of these could be attributed to premature joint failures. Some of the contributing factors to premature joint failure, sometimes as early as 4 months after installation, are: 1. Poor joint design.2. Low failure resistance of the plug.3. Variable standard of workmanship during the joint installation process.The proposed project will examine the role of plug failure resistance and joint design in determining the mechanical behaviour of APJs. The mechanical properties of the plug will be determined for a range of temperature, aggregate volume fraction and loading. The finite element method will be used to assess the distribution of stresses in two alternative joint geometries. The resistance of the optimum joint geometry to failure propagation will be determined experimentally. The numerical and experimental results will be used to produce design guidelines for the manufacture and installation of APJs.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.abdn.ac.uk |