Effects of State Legal Loads on Bridge Rating Results Using the LRFR Procedure
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 13, Issue 6
Abstract
The main objective of this research was to study the effects of different specified trucks on bridge rating with the load and resistance and factor rating (LRFR) procedure. Twelve specified trucks were selected for this study, which include one AASHTO design truck, three AASHTO legal trucks, and eight state legal trucks. These rating trucks were applied on 16 selected Tennessee Dept. of Transportation bridges to obtain the LRFR ratings. The selected bridges covered four commonly used bridge types, including prestressed I-beam bridges; prestressed box beam bridges; cast-in-place T-beam bridges; and steel I-beam bridges. The research results revealed that (1) LRFR AASHTO legal load ratings factors were enveloped by the LRFR HL-93 truck ratings factors, thereby confirming the validity of the LRFR tiered approach with regard to AASHTO legal loads; (2) the lighter state legal trucks were enveloped by the HL-93 loads, whereas the heavier state trucks with closer axle spacing typically resulted in load ratings that governed over the HL-93 loads; and (3) the bridges with both high average daily truck traffic and short spans were more likely to be governed by state legal load ratings instead of HL-93 load ratings.
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Acknowledgments
The writers wish to gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Tennessee Dept. of Transportation on this research. Particularly, the writers would like to thank Edward Wasserman and Terry Leatherwood at the TDOT for their assistance. The writers would also like to acknowledge the support of the Center for Energy System Research at Tennessee Technological University.
References
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (2003) Guide manual for condition evaluation and load and resistance factor rating (LRFR) of highway bridges, Washington, D.C.
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (2004). AASHTO LRFD bridge design specifications, 3rd Ed., Washington, D.C.
Densmore, D. (2000). “Load and resistance factor design.” Federal Highway Administration Policy Memorandums, Washington, D.C., ⟨http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/062800.htm⟩.
Jaramilla, B., and Huo, S. (2005). “Looking to load and resistance factor rating.” Public Roads, 69(1), 58–65.
Mertz, D. R. (2004). “Load rating by load and resistance factor evaluation method.” NCHRP Project No. 20-07/Task 122 Rep., AASHTO, Washington, D.C.
Minervino, C., Sivakumar, B., Moses, F., Mertz, D.,and Edberg, W. (2004). “New AASHTO guide manual for load and resistance factor rating of highway bridges.” J. Bridge Eng., 9(1), 43–54.
Moses, F. (2001). “Calibration of load factors for LRFR bridge evaluation.” NCHRP Rep. No. 454, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 13 • Issue 6 • November 2008
Pages: 565 - 572
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 13, 2007
Accepted: Feb 21, 2008
Published online: Nov 1, 2008
Published in print: Nov 2008
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