Technical Papers
Mar 28, 2024

Field Study of Bonded Link Slabs Subjected to Ambient Live and Thermal Loads

Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 29, Issue 6

Abstract

Multispan bridges with simply supported girders are straightforward to construct and economical but have historically utilized expansion joints between spans. The negative long-term impacts of expansion joints are well-documented in the literature; eventual leaking causes damage to the girder ends and substructures. To avoid this deterioration associated with the use of expansion joints, link slabs may be used instead. However, the complex induced forces and deformations associated with link slabs are not fully understood and may damage the slab, reducing the life of the superstructure. This paper presents the results of a field study examining bonded link slab behavior under ambient (in-service) live and thermal loads on five Texas bridges. Typical Texas link slabs are not debonded at the girder ends, feature continuous longitudinal reinforcement, and incorporate partial-depth precast concrete panels. The five bridges were instrumented with displacement gauges at the girder ends, at both link slab and expansion joint locations, and strain gauges attached to the bottom of the bridge deck. Displacement, strain, and temperature data collected for a period of 1–2 weeks were used to estimate link slab mechanics. The results show differences in behavior between the differing link slab details, lateral deck stiffness characteristics, and continuous deck unit lengths. The increase in superstructure stiffness provided by the link slab is quantified. Longitudinal deck cracking and reinforcing steel yield behavior are predicted at each monitored link slab. The calculated displacement and strain data show that both live and thermal load effects should be considered in the design.

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Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) as part of Project 0-7013, Performance and Improvement of Texas Poor Boy Continuous Bridge Deck Details. The authors thank the TxDOT personnel for their support. Additionally, the authors thank the graduate students Daron Smith, Pushkar Shivechchhu, and Seung Hyun Yoon for their assistance with field instrumentation.

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Go to Journal of Bridge Engineering
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 29Issue 6June 2024

History

Received: Jun 8, 2023
Accepted: Jan 6, 2024
Published online: Mar 28, 2024
Published in print: Jun 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Aug 28, 2024

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Authors

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Graduate Assistant Researcher, Zachry Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX 77840 (corresponding author). ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7917-6751. Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Anna C. Birely, M.ASCE
Associate Professor, Zachry Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX 77840.
Associate Professor, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn Univ., Auburn, AL 36849. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0672-6748.
Stefan Hurlebaus, M.ASCE
Professor, Zachry Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX 77840.

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