Epoxy Dowel Pile Splice Evaluation

BDV29-977-52For various reasons, including limitations in shipping and operation, as well as unforeseen soil conditions, it often happens that splicing of precast prestressed concrete pile (PPCP) segments has to be performed at the site to achieve longer lengths. Epoxy-bonded dowel splices are commonly used in Florida. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) dowel bars, which are being proposed as an economical corrosion-resistant option for use in pile splices. The study developed a design procedure, details for GFRP epoxy dowel splices, design drawings for the recommended details, and recommended refinements to current designs. We also developed an analytical framework that can be used for the design of future variations of pile and splice systems. The primary focus was on the flexural behavior of the pile splices. An analysis procedure for the design of splice using GFRP dowels has been developed, and a series of test specimens using various combinations of dowel and strand types have been designed, constructed, and tested. The pile splices were developed for both drivable unforeseen and preplanned cases. A design procedure was developed for the Epoxy-bonded Dowel Pile Splice flexural capacity in Task 2 and validated through experimental program in Task 4. The design procedure was incorporated into a Mathcad worksheet in Task 5. The design of the GFRP Epoxy-bonded Dowel Pile Splice for various standard square piles was developed in Task 6. Task 7 presents some recommendations for improvement to the current Epoxy-bonded Dowel Pile Splices. This is the final report and includes all the tasks