Experimental and Simulation Studies on the Mechanical Performance of T-Girder Bridge Strengthened with Transverse Connection
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 33, Issue 5
Abstract
In this paper, a new method is proposed for the strengthening of a T-girder bridge with a transverse connection. The proposed connection consists of a top plate, two diagonal braces, one horizontal brace, and two brackets. A series of experiments and simulation were carried out to study the mechanical properties of a T-girder bridge strengthened with transverse connections. The main parameters included the installation height and number of the transverse connections on the bridge as well as the loading patterns. The simulation results show that the strengthening effect is better when the transverse connections were installed at the bottom of the girders than at the neutral axis. It is revealed that the exterior girders are the control girders and their midspan cross sections are the control cross sections. That is, the midspan of the exterior girder is the most unfavorable loading position. The experimental results show that the proposed strengthening method can reduce 27.6% of the maximum deflection with the proposed transverse connections installed at quarter points under the most unfavorable loading position. Moreover, the transverse connections serve to improve the load distribution of a T-girder bridge as well. Thus, a favorable strengthening effect is demonstrated for a T-girder bridge with the proposed transverse connections. Some design suggestions are also given for practical engineering strengthened with the proposed transverse connections.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
AASHTO. 2002. Standard specification for highway bridges. Washington, DC: AASHTO.
Abendroth, R. E., F. W. Klaiber, and M. W. Shafer. 1995. “Diaphragm effectiveness in prestressed-concrete girder bridges.” J. Struct. Eng. 121 (9): 1362–1369. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1995)121:9(1362).
ANSYS. 2009. ANSYS user’s manual revision 12. Canonsburg, PA: ANSYS.
Cai, C. S., and M. Shahawy. 2004. “Predicted and measured performance of prestressed concrete bridges.” J. Bridge Eng. 9 (1): 4–13. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0702(2004)9:1(4).
China Standard. 2006. Plastics-determination of tensile properties. Part 2: Test conditions for moulding and extrusion plastics. [In Chinese.] GB/T 1040.2. Beijing: China Standard.
China Standard. 2007. Code for design of aluminum structures. [In Chinese.] GB 50429. Beijing: China Standard.
Green, T., N. Yazdani, and L. Spainhour. 2004. “Contribution of intermediate diaphragms in enhancing precast bridge girder performance.” J. Perform. Constr. Facil. 18 (3): 142–146. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0887-3828(2004)18:3(142).
Griffin, J. J. 1998. “Influence of diaphragms on load distribution in P/C I-girder bridges.” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Kentucky.
Li, L., and Z. John Ma. 2010. “Effect of intermediate diaphragms on decked bulb-tee bridge system for accelerated construction.” J. Bridge Eng. 15 (6): 715–722. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000108.
Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China. 2004. Code for design of highway reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete bridges and culverts. JTG D62. Beijing: Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China.
Niu, Y., B. Liu, Y. Zhao, S. Rong, and P. Huang. 2014. “Diaphragm damage of precast concrete T-shape girder bridge: Analysis and strengthening.” Open Civ. Eng. J. 8: 434–438. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874149501408010434.
Peralta, L., and M. A. Hube. 2018. “Deck rotation of straight bridges induced by asymmetric characteristics and effect of transverse diaphragms.” Eng. Struct. 173 (Oct): 729–743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.06.107.
Yang, M., P. Qiao, D. I. McLean, and B. Khaleghi. 2010. “Effects of overheight truck impacts on intermediate diaphragms in prestressed concrete bridge girders.” PCI J. 55 (1): 58–78. https://doi.org/10.15554/pcij.01012010.58.78.
Zhang, J., J. S. Ye, X. X. Shi, and B. Yu. 2010. “Mechanical properties of upper structure of RC multi-T girders subjected to transverse loads.” [In Chinese.] J. Nanjing Univ. Aeronaut. Astronautics 42 (2): 262–266. https://doi.org/10.16356/j.1005-2615.2010.02.015.
Zhang, Y. Q. 2015. “Experimental research on lateral distribution factors of load on continuous T beam bridges at large and wide span ratio.” [In Chinese.] Technol. Highway Transp. 4: 75–79. https://doi.org/10.13607/j.cnki.gljt.2015.04.016.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 5, 2018
Accepted: Feb 4, 2019
Published online: Jul 25, 2019
Published in print: Oct 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Dec 25, 2019
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.