Title:
Design, Construction and Testing of Pedestrian Bridges Built with Decommissioned 53-meter Wind Turbine Blades
Design, Construction and Testing of Pedestrian Bridges Built with Decommissioned 53-meter Wind Turbine Blades
Author(s)
Zhang, Zoe
Advisor(s)
Gentry, T. Russell
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Abstract
Due to the rise in popularity of wind energy in recent decades, projections show that millions of tons of glass-fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite wind turbine blades will be decommissioned within the next 20-30 years, most of which will be landfilled or incinerated. The Re-Wind Network is a multinational research team focusing on this growing issue of blade waste, particularly on finding applications for decommissioned blades in infrastructure. This thesis focuses on the design, construction, and testing plan of an 18.5 meter pedestrian bridge made using decommissioned 53-meter blades. Two of these bridges, denoted as BladeBridges by the Re-Wind Network, will be installed in a public park in the City of Atlanta. This thesis presents the design and analysis of three bridge configurations that were considered for the BladeBridge, all of which use the wind blades as the primary longitudinal girders. The first option uses two blades with supports on either side of the span. The second option is a double-blade cantilever option, with both supports on one side of the span. The final option is a single-blade bridge, supporting the deck off to one side and placing the blade-girder into flexure and torsion. Structural analysis for each option is presented using effective moduli and section properties provided by the wind blade original equipment manufacturer (OEM), as well as load combinations specified by the AASHTO pedestrian bridge design code. Maximum stresses and deflections, as well as the constructability given the constrained site plan, were used to assess the feasibility of each option. The first option was chosen as the most feasible for the given bridge site, and further design details of the selected option are presented including overall elevations, foundation design, and steel connection design. Finally, a load testing and instrumentation setup plan is provided for a BladeBridge prototype that will be installed at the Georgia Tech Structural Engineering and Materials Laboratory.
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Date Issued
2023-08-01
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Thesis