Composite Structure of UHPFRC and Normal Strength Concrete with Innovative Shear Connector

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Abstract:

UHPC (“UHPC” will be used in the paper for UHPFRC with steel fibres) offers great potential in terms of extending the service life of structures and reducing material consumption in bridge construction. One way to achieve the economical application of UHPC is to mechanically connect optimized UHPC structures with other structural elements made of conventional materials into a single functional unit. This paper describes the development of a structural system that provides effective use of the properties of UHPC and conventional concrete. An innovative coupling element made of UHPC material was developed for the connection. During development, computational and experimental analyses were performed, including static and fatigue resistance tests of the coupling and full-scale load tests of a prototype bridge girder. The article briefly summarizes the individual parts of the research and presents its results.

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39-45

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May 2026

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© 2026 Trans Tech Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved

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