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Preliminary Impact Load Assessment of Ballast Deck Prestressed Concrete Bridges [Research Results]
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2007-04-01
[PDF-300.35 KB]
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Abstract:Concrete bridges at the Transportation Technology Center’s Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST) in Pueblo, CO, provide a unique opportunity to study the dynamic behavior of bridges when subjected to heavy axle load (HAL) traffic. Improved dynamic behavior will result in reduced maintenance and extended service life of concrete bridges. Researchers tested two prestressed concrete bridges located on curved track at FAST to assess their initial stress-state. The distribution of vertical loads across the widths of the spans was also measured. Summaries from this study include that wheels on bridge spans with standard bolted rail joints are capable of producing high dynamic impacts that may exceed the design impact load. Higher impact loads are not typically a safety concern but will lead into a reduction in bridge life and increased track and bridge maintenance costs. The railroad industry spends about half of its bridge capital on concrete bridge construction, now comprising up to 20 percent of the total railroad bridge inventory. These investment levels make it especially important to evaluate short- and long-term performance of concrete bridges under HAL traffic.
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