Field Live-Load Testing and Advanced Analysis of Concrete T-Beam Bridges to Extend Service Life

Details

• Creators:
  Schanck, Andrew ; Davids, William
• Corporate Creators:
  University of Maine. Advanced Structures and Composites Center ; University of Maine. Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center (TIDC)
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Analysis Bridges Evaluation Field Tests Flexural Strength Live Loads Load Factor Service Life T Beams Testing
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report
• Corporate Publisher:
  University of Maine. Advanced Structures and Composites Center
• Abstract:
  Many older bridges were designed for much lighter loads than are required today, and engineering calculations based on current codes show that these bridges are at risk for posting, closure or replacement. However, many of these structures show few or no signs of distress and provide adequate service. This raises the obvious question: even if a bridge was not designed to carry modern truck traffic, should it be closed – or millions spent – to strengthen or replace it given its good performance history and condition? Concrete T-beam bridges are an important class of structures that has seen limited investigation. These structures are often perceived as quite robust and are in good condition, but possess very low rating factors based on conventional analysis per the AASHTO Manual for Bridge Evaluation (2011). Testing of five T-beam bridges conducted in summer 2017 indicated that conventionally calculated rating factors are generally low for T-beam bridges. However, all of the tested bridges were un-skewed, and the effect of skew angle has not been quantified. Further, the reliance on non-destructive live-load testing (NDLLT) to modify rating factors can be costly. Finally, the use of NDLLT to modify rating factors requires the extrapolation of service-load strain data to predict bridge capacity, and at capacity, the bridges will generally experience significant nonlinearity. These research questions were addressed with a three-phase approach.
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0a66d33c5b579626c15fc7758ab1b76ca54b296bd1af2ec5d08a8a4ca12baca5ccd4ef87967ac099d0376770d4cc0f59c34a38d311d5d647c74f8df06f16c323
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/88695/dot_88695_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 33.19 MB ]