Open Access

ARTICLE

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Steel Frame-UHPC Composite Deck for Construction Trestles

Wu Yang¹, Quan Xu¹, Zhimin Zhou², Mingtao Ye³, Shaohua He^3,*

1 CCCC Changsha Construction Co., Ltd., No. 1 Jinxingbei Road, Wangcheng District, Changsha, China
2 Guangdong Guansheng Civil Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., No. 1025, Huateng Road, Panyu District, Guangzhou, China
3 School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, No. 100 Waihuangxi Road, Panyu District, Guangzhou, China

* Corresponding Author: Shaohua He. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Innovative and Sustainable Materials for Reinforced Concrete Structures)

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring 2026, 20(4), 12 https://doi.org/10.32604/sdhm.2026.079184

Received 16 January 2026; Accepted 12 March 2026; Issue published 30 June 2026

Abstract

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) exhibits exceptional mechanical properties and durability, making it highly suitable for infrastructure applications. This paper presents the design and evaluation of an innovative steel frame-UHPC composite deck intended for temporary trestles subjected to heavy construction loads and corrosive environments. The mechanical performance of the proposed composite deck was investigated through advanced finite element modeling and full-scale experimental testing. Structural responses of the trestle structure equipped with the composite deck under a 150-t crawler crane were analyzed numerically, while a three-point bending test on a full-scale steel frame-UHPC composite deck determined its flexural capacity and failure mechanisms. Stress distribution and deformation under bending loads were examined using calibrated numerical models and experimental data. Moreover, a parametric study was performed to assess the influence of key design variables. Results indicate that the steel frame-UHPC composite deck achieved an ultimate mid-span bending moment of 271.6 kN·m. Crack propagation in the UHPC panel of the composite deck was characterized by multiple, progressive cracks, demonstrating favorable ductility and early-warning capacity of the deck system. These findings confirm that the steel frame-UHPC composite deck offers high load-bearing capacity, flexural ductility, and favorable durability, supporting its use in heavy-duty trestle bridges and corrosive environments.

---

Keywords

---