United States Department of Transportation
i
Fracture Critical Steel Twin Tub Girder Bridges: Technical Report
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2018-11-01
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[PDF-18.23 MB]
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Edition:September 2016–August 2018
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Abstract:Steel twin tub girder bridges are an aesthetically pleasing structural option offering long-span solutions in tight radii-direct connectors. However, these bridges require a routine two-year inspection frequency, as well as a thorough hands-on inspection, because of their fracture critical designation. The heightened inspection requirements for fracture critical bridges come at a significant cost to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Recent research has shown that tangent, or nearly tangent, twin steel tub girder sections can redistribute load to the intact girder after fracture of one of the girder bottom flanges. Additional research is required to develop recommendations for practical analysis of typical twin steel tub span configurations with the degree of curvature common to twin steel tub direct connectors. The finite element method (FEM) Abaqus and SAP2000 software for both rigorous FEM and grillage solutions, along with push-down plastic analyses, are typically available to TxDOT and its consultant bridge designers. These analysis and modeling methods take into account the capacity of the fractured girder, especially at the support locations, and realistically model the load distribution between the intact girder and the fractured girder. The modeling and analysis methods are incorporated in a straightforward manner on a large scale to the inventory of the steel tub bridges. The requirements outlined in the Federal Highway Administration memorandum, dated June 12, 2012, and titled “Clarification of Requirements for Fracture Critical Members,” were met in the employed analysis methods.
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