Current Design and Construction Practices of Bridge Pile Foundations with Emphasis on Implementation of LRFD
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 15, Issue 6
Abstract
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) mandated the use of the load and resistance factor design (LRFD) approach in the U.S. for all new bridges initiated after September 2007. This paper presents the bridge deep foundation practices established through a nationwide survey of more than 30 DOTs in 2008. Highlighted by this study are the benefits of the LRFD as well as how the flexibility of its usage is being exploited in design practice. The study collected information on current foundation practice, pile analysis and design, pile drivability, pile design verification, and quality control. Since this is the first nationwide study conducted on the LRFD topic following the FHWA mandate, the status on the implementation of LRFD for bridge foundation design was also examined. The study found that: (1) more than 50% of the responded DOTs are using the LRFD for pile design, while 30% are still in transition to the LRFD; and (2) about 30% of the DOTs, who use the LRFD for pile foundations, are using regionally calibrated resistance factors to reduce the foundation costs.
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Acknowledgments
The study reported in this paper was conducted by the writers as part of the ongoing research project TR-573: Development of LRFD Design Procedures for Bridge Pile in Iowa, which is funded by the Iowa Highway Research Board (IHRB). The writers also express their gratitude to (1) all respondents of the survey; (2) Sandra Larson and Mark Dunn, Research and Technology Bureau of Iowa DOT, for their coordination and support of the project; (3) Norm McDonald, State Bridge Engineer for Iowa, for inviting other DOTs to participate in the survey; and (4) the following members of the project Technical Advisor Committee for their guidance and advice: Ahmad Abu-Hawash, Dean Bierwagen, Lyle Brehm, Ken Dunker, Kyle Frame, Steve Megivern, Curtis Monk, Michael Nop, Gary Novey, John Rasmussen and Bob Stanley. The members of this committee represent Office of Bridges and Structures, Soils, Design Section, and Office of Construction of the Iowa DOT, FHWA Iowa Division, and Iowa County Engineers.UNSPECIFIED
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 15 • Issue 6 • November 2010
Pages: 749 - 758
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 30, 2009
Accepted: Mar 4, 2010
Published online: Mar 8, 2010
Published in print: Nov 2010
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