Currently, friction shear dowels (steel stirrups) are being used in bridge construction at the interface plane between the cast-in-place deck slab and the precast girder to ensure the composite action for stronger cross section. As the bridge deck slab deteriorated over time due to the environmental conditions, these shear steel dowels are also susceptible to sever corrosion and will need replacement, especially when de-icing salt is used. This results in gradual loss of the composite behavior and strength of the composite section. Fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) reinforcements have shown to be an effective alternative to black steel as flexure and shear reinforcement for RC elements over the past 10 years. This research project aims to investigate a new application for FRP reinforcement as friction shear reinforcement between the precast and cast-in-place concrete members to overcome the corrosion problem and the corresponding high maintenance cost. This paper investigates the visibility of using FRP as shear-friction reinforcement (connectors) through push-off experimental tests on concrete specimens with Glass FRP (GFRP) shear connectors. The tested parameters included the shear connector's reinforcement ratio, geometry and layout. Test results are presented in terms of comparisons of the ultimate capacity and failure mode against steel reinforced ones as well as load-slip and load-strain relationships. Test results indicates an outstanding capacity and behavior of GFRP shear connectors compared to steel ones.
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