Experimental Study on Prefabricated Concrete Bridge Girder-to-Girder Intermittent Bolted Connections System
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 12, Issue 5
Abstract
This paper reports on a new bridge deck slab flange-to-flange connection system for precast deck bulb tee (DBT) girders. In prefabricated bridge system made of DBT girders, the concrete deck slab is cast with the prestressed girder in a controlled environment at the fabrication facility and then shipped to the bridge site. This system requires that the individual prefabricated girders be connected through their flanges to make it continuous for live load distribution. The objectives of this study are to develop an intermittent bolted connection for DBT bridge girders and to provide experimental data on the ultimate strength of the connection system. This includes identifying the crack formation and propagation, failure mode, and ultimate load carrying capacity. In this study, three different types of intermittent bolted connection were developed. Four actual-size bridge panels were fabricated and then tested to collapse. The effects of the size and the level of the fixity of the connecting steel plates, as well as the location of the wheel load were examined. The developed joint was considered successful if the experimental wheel load satisfied the requirements specified in North American bridge codes. It was concluded that location of the wheel load at the deck slab joint affected the ultimate load carrying capacity of the connections developed. Failure of the joint was observed to be due to either excessive deformation and yielding of the connecting steel plates or debonding of the embedded studs in concrete.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by a contribution from the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. Opinions expressed in this paper are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Ministry. This support is gratefully acknowledged.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 12 • Issue 5 • September 2007
Pages: 570 - 584
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 3, 2005
Accepted: Aug 25, 2006
Published online: Sep 1, 2007
Published in print: Sep 2007
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