Field Verification of Simplified Analysis Procedures for Segmental Concrete Bridges
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 141, Issue 1
Abstract
Load tests on segmental bridges are uncommon in the literature given their relatively short history and comparatively smaller presence in the national bridge inventory. This paper presents results from two segmental concrete bridge field tests and compares them with common simplified longitudinal and transverse analysis procedures. These single-cell structures, built with balanced cantilever construction, represent two significantly different segmental concrete bridges. Designers frequently use a beamline model for longitudinal analysis. When compared with the load test results, this simple method produces conservative predictions of longitudinal behavior within 20%, which is also reflected in the literature. Conversely, little information exists in the literature on transverse bending analysis. When analyzing the localized transverse bending from concentrated wheel loads, designers commonly use an equivalent frame model. Most frequently, designers use influence surfaces to estimate the scaled loads to apply to these two-dimensional frame models. This simplified approach is shown to be conservative overall but cannot always predict bending sense and frequently overpredicts demand in excess of 100%.
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Acknowledgments
This publication was partially supported by a subcontract from Rutgers University, Center for Advanced Infrastructure & Transportation (CAIT), under DTFH61-08-C-00005 from the U.S. Department of Transportation—Federal Highway Administration (USDOT-FHWA). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rutgers University or of the USDOT-FHWA.
The assistance of current and former graduate students of Virginia Tech, including Bernie Kassner, Soundar Sriram, Drew Woerheide, Kedar Halbe, Jon Emenheiser, and Kacie D’Alessandro, is gratefully acknowledged. Brian Pailes, graduate student at Rutgers, and Dr. David Wayne Mokarem of Virginia Tech were also integral to the completion of this research. Additionally, Dr. Michael Brown of the Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research, Sam Fallaha, Will Potter, and Doug Shockley of Florida Department of Transportation, and George Kuhn of Chandler Concrete provided much appreciated assistance.
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Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 141 • Issue 1 • January 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 1, 2013
Accepted: May 7, 2014
Published online: Jul 15, 2014
Discussion open until: Dec 15, 2014
Published in print: Jan 1, 2015
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