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Laminated composite plates have become a crucial point of interest in the industry, with the need to ensure sustained and stable structures throughout the plates' lifespan. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis using the Scopus database, gathering 8221 documents for further scrutiny based on the linked meta-data. Utilizing the VOS viewer software version 1.6.19, maps were generated from scientific publishing network data, illustrating connections between researchers' nations and keywords. The investigation into co-occurring phrases associated with laminated composite plates employed author keywords. The results reveal a significant and close relationship among top authors, suggesting a strong research connection, with the United States and China leading the field. Top cited documents and keyword correlations are examined to gauge current research interests. These critical reviews serve as essential resources for scholars and practitioners in the field. Additionally, the review discusses the advancements in and practical applications of different theories for laminated composite plates, with a focus on a bibliometric study using the Scopus database. This paper categorizes models within the context of an equivalent single-layer laminate, analyzing variations in established theories and methodologies for modeling laminated composite plates to offer a nuanced understanding of approaches and assessments in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The crack propagations and patterns are described. • Presence of reinforcement bars has a significant influence on cracking behavior. • Influences of primary design parameters on cracking behavior are discussed. • Equations for estimating the reinforcement stress are developed. • Analytical model for predicting crack width is proposed. This paper aims to clarify flexural cracking behaviors (e.g., crack width and crack spacing) of a lightweight deck system composed of steel orthotropic deck and thin ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) layer. Forty steel-UHPC composite plates and eight steel-UHPC composite beams were tested to explore their cracking characteristics in transverse and longitudinal directions, respectively. The influences of reinforcement ratios, the thickness of the UHPC cover, the spacing of stud shear connectors, and the depth of the UHPC layers on cracking behaviors were examined. According to the bridges with composite deck systems recently constructed in China, the same spacing of reinforcing bars were employed in longitudinal and transverse directions, which ranged from 30 and 75 mm. The test results show that the occurrence and growth of cracks in UHPC layers could be effectively restricted by increasing reinforcement ratios, reducing the thickness of UHPC cover and the spacing of stud shear connectors, as well as thickening the UHPC layer. For the average crack spacing, the most significant factor was the reinforcement ratio. For the longitudinal behavior of the lightweight deck system, the steel-UHPC composite beams would fail due to the yield of steel U-ribs and the crack width in the UHPC layer would be small (e.g., 0.09–0.14 mm) when the reinforcement ratio and the thickness of UHPC cover are design appropriately. Based on the experimental observations, the formulas were developed to estimate the stress in reinforcements for the composite (steel + UHPC) lightweight deck system. The reinforcement stresses predicted by these formulas were in agreement with the experimental data. A new formulation for predicting the maximum crack width in composite (steel + UHPC) lightweight deck system was also proposed. Good agreements were achieved between the test results and the predicted values of the flexural crack width. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mechanical behaviour of double-deck plate-truss composite steel girders is studied. • Two sub-systems of plate-truss composite steel girders are analyzed separately. • Effects of various parameters on the girders' mechanical behaviour are studied. A sufficient understanding of the mechanical performance of plate-truss composite steel girders is essential for practical design as such girders are utilized widely in long-span bridges worldwide. Using the Oujiang River North Estuary Bridge which is a three-tower four-span suspension bridge under construction in China as an example, this paper investigates the mechanical performance of two sub-systems Ⅰ and Ⅱ of double-deck plate-truss composite steel girders. System Ⅰ is the main bridge system, with the steel plate deck and the longitudinal ribs acting as a part of the main carrying members of the bridge. System Ⅱ is the stiffened steel plate deck consisting of the longitudinal ribs, diaphragms and the deck plate as their common upper flange, acting as a bridge floor. Three-dimensional finite element models (FEM) are developed and different load cases are considered for System Ⅰ and System Ⅱ in the analysis. The results show that 60–80% of total load is carried by the deck plate and longitudinal ribs in System Ⅰ, and the mechanical response of System Ⅱ is susceptible to live load. Finally, a parametric study is conducted to investigate the influences of various structural parameters on the mechanical performance of double-deck plate-truss composite steel girders. The obtained analytical results lead to a better understanding of the complex mechanical performance of steel deck-truss composite system, particularly with respect to stress distribution and load carrying mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) layer composite orthotropic steel deck was adopted in the construction of a new bridge in China to improve the fatigue performance of the orthotropic steel deck plate and reduce the disease of surface wearing layer. In situ experiments were conducted to study the UHPC layer's impact on the behavior of the orthotropic steel deck. The test vehicle loads were applied on the deck plate before and after UHPC layer paving, the stresses where fatigue cracks usually occur and the deflections of critical sections were measured. The test results verified that the UHPC composite steel deck system could significantly reduce the stress of the rib-to-deck connection region and the stress at the bottom toe of rib-to-diaphragm weld. In addition, it slightly influenced the performance of U shape rib, girder web-to-deck and diaphragm cutout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]