United States Department of Transportation
i
Over-Height Vehicle Impact with Bridge Girders Having Different Boundary Conditions
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2024-09-01
[PDF-3.74 MB]
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Edition:Final Report January 2022-June 2024
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Abstract:In recent decades, there has been an increase in catastrophic vehicle-bridge collisions worldwide due to rapid infrastructure development and increased traffic. This study, which addresses the critical research gap in understanding lateral impact loads on prestressed flanged concrete bridge girders, has the potential to impact the field significantly. The paper experimentally investigates the effect of concrete decks as a restraining condition on two small-scale (20 ft long) prestressed girders: Isolated and T-shaped. Using a controlled impact load setup, these girders were subjected to lateral impacts with varying bending and torsional constraints. The test facility simulated over-height vehicle collisions using a 660 lbs. impact cart on an elevated steel track, allowing it to roll down the track with a changing height of 7.8 ft. Results show that T-beam girders exhibit higher peak impact force than isolated beams, indicating better impact resistance. Moreover, the lateral displacement in the T-beam at the impact location decreased significantly by 82% compared to the isolated beam. However, failure patterns differ; prestressed beams typically experience shear failure, while conventional beams tend to fail in flexure. This research, therefore, contributes to improving the safety and resilience of bridge structures in real-world applications, design, and maintenance practices.
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