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Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the enhancement effect of asphalt concrete beams reinforced by glass fibre-reinforced plastics (GFRP). First, the Cooper fatigue test machine was used to conduct the four-point bending fatigue tests. The test results showed that the mean fatigue life of hot mixture asphalt (HMA) beams had been extended to more than 8.81 times with 3-mm thick GFRP sheets pasted on the top. Second, the stress and strian behaviour of the four-point bending fatigue test specimen was simulated by the finite element method. The results showed that flexural stiffness of HMA beams had increased significantly with GFRP sheets pasted on the top. Finally, the fatigue failure process of the HMA beam with GFRP sheet pasted on the top was predicted by the theory of damage mechanics. The predicted results matched well with those obtained in the fatigue tests.Therefore, pasting a GFRP sheet of a certain thickness on a steel bridge deck could greatly improve the overall stiffness of the pavement layer and form a kind of durable steel bridge deck surfacing structure. The research results had important theoretical significance and value in engineering applications.