Structural Behavior of Bridge Decks with Cast-in-Place and Precast Concrete Barriers: Numerical Modeling
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 20, Issue 12
Abstract
Nonlinear finite-element (NLFE) calculations were used to compare and optimize the load transfer and failure mode of precast and cast-in-place bridge barriers subjected to transverse loads on bridge deck overhangs. The NLFE calculations were validated by successfully simulating the behavior of concrete barriers anchored to bridge deck overhangs and submitted to static transverse loading. The behaviors of three different barrier configurations—a normal concrete cast-in-place barrier, high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (HPFRC) precast barriers, and HPFRC precast barriers with barrier-to-barrier connections—anchored to slab overhangs were accurately simulated with NLFE models. The validated models were then used to investigate the impact of the fiber orientation in the HPFRC precast barriers, the effect of the precast barrier length, the eccentric load application, and the utilization of a HPFRC slab overhang. The fiber orientation of the HPFRC precast barriers was shown to be well oriented to resist the applied overturning moment. The adequate performance of 4-m-long precast barrier modules commonly used in actual industrial projects was confirmed, although the reduced load-carrying capacity of a smaller 2-m-long precast barrier with shear keys also surpasses the design requirements. The precast barrier length was as critical to the structural performance as an eccentrically applied load. The HPFRC slab allowed the reduction of crack spacing and crack-opening widths and increased the rigidity and load-carrying capacity of the bridge deck overhang.
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Acknowledgments
The City of Montréal, Béton Brunet, the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges, Inc., Euclid, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) financially supported the research project. The authors would like to acknowledge the participation of the industrial partners and the technical staff of Polytechnique Montréal.
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Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 20 • Issue 12 • December 2015
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 13, 2014
Accepted: Nov 24, 2014
Published online: Apr 17, 2015
Discussion open until: Sep 17, 2015
Published in print: Dec 1, 2015
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