Live-Load Response of Eyebars on a 110-Year-Old Steel Truss Railroad Bridge
Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 26, Issue 1
Abstract
Eyebars commonly were used as tension members in steel truss railroad bridges, frequently installed in sets of two or more. Eyebars were favored by engineers because they (1) were easy to fabricate, (2) were faster to erect than other shapes, and (3) minimized secondary stresses by allowing freer rotation at joints. Research was conducted to gain a better understanding of the effects of excessive wear on the eyebars and connecting pins of a 110-year-old truss railroad bridges. Eyebar responses to live load were field tested. Strain and accelerometer readings were taken from four different types of passenger trains and at various speeds. Results indicate that different eyebars between the same two panel points frequently were loaded neither simultaneously nor equally. Adverse results of this phenomenon include development of excessive bending and shear stresses in pins, higher axial stress in some bars, and often extreme vibration of bars.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article. Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge and thank the following organizations whose support (financial, material, and/or in-kind) assisted in this research. The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) University Transportation Center (UTC) (Region 1) Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center (TIDC) (Grant No. 69A3551847101), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of The National Academies under its Rail Safety Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) program (Grant RS-25), for partial project funding. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors. The findings, conclusions, or recommendations either inferred or specifically expressed herein do not necessarily indicate acceptance by the USDOT, FRA, or the Academies. The authors thank the Connecticut Department of Transportation for allowing the research team access to the Devon Bridge, and for their financial support in assuming the personnel costs associated with the authors’ work on state property. The authors thank Metro-North Railroad Company and the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) for logistical support in making available test trains and crews, and for fitting the research team’s track usage needs within their own requirements for personnel and track usage. The authors also are very appreciative to STRAAM Group (New York City) and Trans-Tek (Ellington, Connecticut) for logistical support in terms of equipment, materials, and personnel. Finally, the authors are very grateful to the University of Connecticut, its Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Connecticut Transportation Institute (CTI) for cost-share in-kind support, laboratory facilities, and project administration help.
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Published In
Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 26 • Issue 1 • February 2021
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 20, 2019
Accepted: Jun 17, 2020
Published online: Sep 24, 2020
Published in print: Feb 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 24, 2021
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