Showing papers in "Journal of Bridge Engineering in 2005"

Vehicle Collision with Bridge Piers

Abstract: Inelastic transient finite element simulations are used to investigate the demands generated during collisions between vehicles and bridge piers. Such collisions have occurred in the past, sometimes with catastrophic consequences. Two different types of trucks and two different bridge/pier systems are used in the simulations. The approach speeds for the trucks range from 55 to 135 kph. Various quantities of interest are extracted from the finite element results and used to develop a better understanding of the vehicle/pier crash process and to critique current specifications addressing such events. Although physical vehicle-pier impact tests were not carried out as part of this research, a variety of exercises are conducted to provide confidence in the analysis results. The simulations show that current collision design provisions could be unconservative and that there may be a population of bridge piers that are vulnerable to accidental or malicious impact by heavy trucks.

Effective bond length of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer strips bonded to fatigued steel bridge I-girders

Abstract: After years in service, many steel girders have deteriorated to the point where fatigue cracks have initiated in the girders. In girders having cover plates that do not terminate in a compression region, a common type of crack initiates at the weld toe at the ends of the cover plate after being subjected to cyclic tensile loads due to traffic. The use of precured carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates, adhered to the inside face of the girder tension flange, is one proposed method for repairing these cracked bridge girders. The main advantages of using CFRP laminates are their light weight and their durability, which result in ease of handling and maintenance. For the application of this rehabilitation method, it is important to determine the effective bond length for CFRP laminates adhered to the inside face of a cracked steel girder flange. Experimental tests using a new type of effective bond length test specimen were conducted in this research on several types of adhesives and precured CFRP laminates, in addition to several different bonding configurations. The minimum bond length required to achieve the maximum strength of the rehabilitation scheme for the materials investigated in this research was determined. The experimental results also indicated that an adhesive with relatively large ductility is required to redistribute the stresses successfully within the adhesive layer during increased loading. A simple analytical solution for the shear strain distribution in the adhesive layer was proposed for estimating the effective bond length, and the results were verified with computational analyses. Good agreement was found among the computational, analytical, and experimental results.

Comparison of Three Flexural Retrofit Systems under Monotonic and Fatigue Loads

Abstract: The majority of experimental work involving the flexural retrofit of concrete bridge girders has been conducted on beam specimens with adhesive-applied, soffit-mounted, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite systems, referred to in this study as conventional adhesive application (CAA). It has been observed that the performance of such girders is often controlled by the quality of the bond between the FRP and the concrete substrate and the substrate’s ability to transfer stress from the steel to the FRP. With the goal of improving the performance of bonded FRP in mind, two additional soffit-mounted retrofit schemes are investigated: near-surface mounted (NSM), where the FRP strips are embedded in adhesive within slots cut into the substrate concrete, and, powder-actuated fastener-applied (PAF) FRP, which uses a powder-actuated nail gun to install mechanical fasteners through predrilled holes in the FRP into the concrete substrate, “nailing” the FRP in place. The PAF application is a recent development, a...

Train-Induced Vibration Control of High-Speed Railway Bridges Equipped with Multiple Tuned Mass Dampers

Abstract: This paper deals with the applicability of multiple tuned mass dampers (MTMDs) to suppress train-induced vibration on bridges. A railway bridge is modeled as an Euler-Bernoulli beam and a train is simulated as a series of moving forces, moving masses, or moving suspension masses. According to the train load frequency analysis, resonant effects will occur as the modal frequencies of a bridge are close to the multiple of the impact frequency of the train load to the bridge. An MTMD system is then designed to alter the bridge dynamic characteristics to avoid excessive vibrations. Numerical results from simply supported bridges of the Taiwan High-Speed Railway (THSR) under real trains show that the proposed MTMD is more effective and reliable than a single TMD in reducing dynamic responses during resonant speeds, as the train axle arrangement is regular. It is also found that the inner space of a bridge box-girder of the THSR is wide and deep enough for installation and movement of MTMDs.

Effects of Temperature Variations on Precast, Prestressed Concrete Bridge Girders

Abstract: The monitoring of a precast, prestressed girder bridge during fabrication and service provided the opportunity to observe temperature variations and to evaluate the accuracy of calculated strains and cambers The use of high curing temperatures during fabrication affects the level of prestress because the strand length is fixed during the heating, the coefficients of thermal expansion of steel and concrete differ, and the concrete temperature distribution may not be uniform For the girders discussed here, these effects combined to reduce the calculated prestressing stress from the original design values at release by 3 to 7%, to reduce the initial camber by 26 to 40%, and to increase the bottom tension stress in service by 12 to 27% The main effect of applying the standard service temperature profiles to the bridge was to increase the bottom stress by 60% of the allowable tension stress These effects can be compensated for by increasing the amount of prestressing steel, but in highly stressed girders, such an increase leads to increased prestress losses ~requiring yet more strands! and higher concrete strength requirements at release

Acoustic Emission Monitoring and Analysis of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Composites Bridge Decks

Abstract: The application of fiber-reinforced composites (FRP) is gaining momentum as an alternative material for bridge replacement, repair, and rehabilitation. While a number of states now use FRP, a lack of standards, codes, and performance data for FRP bridge decks has resulted in the use of FRP technology not being widely accepted. This paper presents the performance results, based on acoustic emission (AE), of six full-scale glass FRP bridge deck panels with nominal cross-sectional depths varying from 152 mm (6 in.) to 800 mm (30 in.). The objective was to develop for use during in-service field inspections an AE monitoring strategy that will determine the structural performance of the deck. As such, the characterization of damage, e.g., fiber breakage, matrix cracking, and delamination, was part of the investigated criteria and the contributing factors for identification of a monitoring strategy. Although some factors were determined to be associated with the performance evaluation of the structural integrity of the decks, further investigation is needed.

Using Inclinometers to Measure Bridge Deflection

Abstract: Deflection of a bridge span under designed loads is an important parameter for bridge safety evaluation. However, it is inconvenient to obtain the bridge deflections directly. For bridges over rivers, railways, or highways, a direct measurement method is impractical. A promising bridge deflection measurement method (inclinometer method) is presented in this paper. It offers a simple, practical and inexpensive method of measuring static and dynamic deflections of bridge spans under loads, even for bridge spans that traverse great heights. Hundreds of experiments and practical tests on simple and continuous bridges, utilizing dynamic and static loads, under various vehicle speeds, show that the method has very high precision, which provides an authentic basis for new-built bridge acceptance and old bridge safety evaluation. The method does not need fixed observation positions as other deflection measurement methods because the inclinometers are installed on the bridge directly, which increases measurement efficiency greatly. These features indicate that as a potential method of measuring bridge deflection, inclinometers have significant engineering application value and a promising future.

Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Jackets for Ductility Enhancement of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Columns with Poor Lap-Splice Detailing

Abstract: This paper presents an inclusive testing program conducted on scaled models of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns with insufficient lap-splice length. Thirteen half-scale circular and square column samples were tested in flexure under lateral cyclic loading. Three columns were tested in the as-built configuration whereas ten samples were tested after being retrofitted with different composite-jacket systems. A brittle failure was observed in the as-built samples due to bond deterioration of the lap-spliced longitudinal reinforcement. The jacketed circular columns demonstrated a significant improvement in their cyclic performance. Yet, tests conducted on square jacketed columns showed a limited improvement in clamping on the lap-splice region and for enhancing the ductility of the column.

Corrosion and embrittlement in high-strength wires of suspension bridge cables

Abstract: An in-depth analysis of the deterioration mechanisms in high-strength wires of suspension bridge cables is presented. Accelerated cyclic corrosion tests were conducted to assess the relative effect of corrosion on galvanized and ungalvanized wires. Samples were corroded under various levels of sustained loads in a cabinet that cyclically applied an acidic salt spray, dry conditions, and 100% relative humidity at elevated temperature, and mass loss, hydrogen concentration, ultimate load, and elongation at failure were measured. Elongation measurements indicated a significant embrittlement of the wires that could not be explained solely by the presence of absorbed hydrogen (hydrogen embrittlement). The main cause of reduction of wire elongation was found to be the surface irregularities induced by the corrosion process. The experimental results were validated through a numerical analysis using a finite-element method model of the corroded steel wire and through a series of scanning electron microscope analyses of the fracture surfaces.

Wavelet-Hybrid Feedback Linear Mean Squared Algorithm for Robust Control of Cable-Stayed Bridges

Abstract: Cable-stayed bridges are flexible structures, and control of their vibrations is an important consideration and a challenging problem. In this paper, the wavelet-hybrid feedback least mean squared algorithm recently developed by the writers is used for vibration control of cable-stayed bridges under various seismic excitations. The effectiveness of the algorithm is investigated through numerical simulation using a benchmark control problem created based on an actual semifan-type cable-stayed bridge design. The performance of the algorithm is compared with that of a sample linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) controller using three different earthquake records: the El Centro (California, 1940), Mexico City (Mexico, 1985), and Gebze (Turkey, 1999) earthquakes. Simulation results demonstrate that the new algorithm is consistently more effective than the sample LQG controller for all three earthquake records. Additional numerical simulations are performed to evaluate the sensitivity of the new control algorithm. It is concluded that the algorithm is robust against the uncertainties existing in modeling structures.

Risk Management and Design of Critical Bridges for Terrorist Attacks

Abstract: In the aftermath of the September 11th tragedies, the vulnerability of the United States' transportation infrastructure to terrorist attack has gained national attention. In light of this vulnerability, various governmental agencies are looking into ways to improve the design of structures to better withstand extreme loadings. Until recently, little attention has been given to bridges which are critical to our economy and transportation network. This paper summarizes the results of ongoing research to investigate economical, unobtrusive, and effective methods to mitigate the risk of terrorist attacks against critical bridges. It outlines a recommended plan to reduce these threats through proven risk management techniques, lists possible cost-effective security measures, discusses blast effects on bridges, and provides structural design and retrofit guidelines. It also discusses ongoing research oriented towards the development of a performance-based design methodology. In using proper risk management techniques, transportation managers and bridge engineers can mitigate the risk of terrorist attacks against critical bridges to an acceptable level, while ensuring efficient use of limited resources.

Balancing Connectivity of Deteriorating Bridge Networks and Long-Term Maintenance Cost through Optimization

Abstract: Due to aggressive environmental stressors and increasing traffic loads, highway bridges are undergoing significant deterioration in both condition and safety. Timely and adequate maintenance interventions are therefore crucial to ensure the functionality of existing bridges in a network. Under budget constraints, it is important to prioritize maintenance needs to bridges that are most significant to the functionality of the entire network. In this paper, the network-level bridge maintenance planning problem is posed as a combinatorial optimization and is automated by a genetic algorithm (GA) to select and allocate maintenance interventions of different types among networked bridges as well as over a specified time horizon. Two conflicting objective functions are considered simultaneously: (1) The overall performance of a bridge network expressed by the time-dependent reliability of connectivity between the origin and the destination locations and (2) the present value of total maintenance cost over the specified time horizon. A variety of maintenance types, which differ in unit costs as well as in effects on bridge performance in terms of improvement in structural reliability levels, are used in the optimization. An event tree analysis is carried out to obtain a closed-form expression for the network connectivity reliability. As an illustration example, the GA-based procedure is applied to deteriorating deck slabs of an existing 13-bridge network located in Colorado. It is shown that the proposed maintenance planning procedure has the capability of both prioritizing scarce maintenance needs to deteriorating bridges that are most crucial to the network performance and cost-effectively distributing maintenance interventions over the time horizon.

Vertical Loads on Concrete Box Culverts under High Embankments

Abstract: Vertical loads on concrete box culverts under high embankments are examined, where a high embankment is defined herein as one where the height of the fill above the culvert is greater than the width of the culvert. Results from an instrumented culvert are described, with results from pressure cells, strain gages in the wall, and strain gages in the roof showing reasonable agreement. There was strong correlation between the height of fill and the pressure and internal forces in the culvert, suggesting that the soil–structure interaction factor is independent of the H∕B ratio. The results of the instrumented culvert were compared to those of other instrumented culverts under high embankments. The measured roof pressures were significantly greater than the pressure due to the soil overburden, with the measured pressures averaging 1.5 times the soil overburden pressure. Although the soil–structure interaction factor recommended by the American Society of Highway and Transportation Officials specification tend...

Integral Abutment-Backfill Behavior on Sand Soil-Pushover Analysis Approach

Abstract: This paper presents a study on the behavior of the abutment-backfill system under positive thermal variation in integral bridges built on sand. A structural model of a typical integral bridge is built, considering the nonlinear behavior of the piles and soil-bridge interaction effects. Static pushover analyses of the bridge are conducted to study the effect of various geometric, structural, and geotechnical parameters on the performance of the abutment-backfill system under positive thermal variations. The shape and intensity of the backfill pressure are found to be affected by the height of the abutment. Furthermore, the internal forces in the abutments are found to be functions of the thermal-induced longitudinal movement of the abutment, the properties of the pile, and the density of the sand around the piles. Using the pushover analysis results, design equations are formulated to determine the maximum forces in the abutments and the maximum length of integral bridges based on the strength of the abutments. Integral bridges with piles encased in loose sand and oriented to bend about their weak axis, abutment heights less than 4 m, and noncompacted backfill are recommended to limit the magnitude of the forces in the abutments.

Transverse Cracking of Concrete Bridge Decks: State-of-the-Art

Abstract: This state-of-the-art paper presents the results of a comprehensive literature review of the cause of transverse deck cracking. It includes compilation of experimental and analytical research results as well as survey studies on the effects of different factors on concrete deck cracking. Consistent with the past work on the subject, causes of transverse deck cracking are classified under three categories, namely: (1) material and mix design, (2) construction practices and ambient condition factors, and (3) structural design factors. The literature review revealed that the first two items have been studied extensively over the past several decades, while literature is limited on the effect of structural design factors on deck cracking. This paper evaluates the existing work in depth and presents recommendations on mix design and construction procedures to reduce the potential for transverse deck cracking. Furthermore, areas for additional research are identified.

Lateral Pedestrian Excitation of Footbridges

Abstract: The phenomenon of synchronized lateral pedestrian excitation of footbridges has been highlighted in recent years by the widely publicized problems encountered with the London Millennium Footbridge. On opening day, during which a large number of pedestrians crossed the bridge, it exhibited alarming and unstable amplitudes of lateral vibration, which resulted in an 18 months closure and a 7 million dollar retrofit. Subsequent investigations revealed that the dynamic characteristics of the bridge did not differ significantly from those of other footbridges of similar span, and that the phenomenon of synchronized lateral excitation had recently been exhibited by several other bridges. An analysis of lateral pedestrian excitation of bridges, based on the governing differential equations of motion, is presented. Analytical models of lateral pedestrian loading are developed which can be used to assess both the subcritical response and the critical number of pedestrians likely to induce synchronized excitation. Theoretical predictions of synchronization are compared, and show close correlation, with the results of full-scale tests on the Millennium Footbridge.

Predicted and Measured Response of an Integral Abutment Bridge

Abstract: This project examined several uncertainties of integral abutment bridge design and analysis through field-monitoring of an integral abutment bridge and three levels of numerical modeling. Field monitoring data from a Pennsylvania bridge site was used to refine the numerical models that were then used to predict the integral abutment bridge behavior of other Pennsylvania bridges of similar construction. The instrumented bridge was monitored with 64 gages; monitoring pile strains, soil pressure behind abutments, abutment displacement, abutment rotation, girder rotation, and girder strains during construction and continuously thereafter. Three levels of numerical analysis were performed in order to evaluate prediction methods of bridge behavior. The analysis levels included laterally loaded pile models using commercially available software, two-dimensional (2D) single bent models, and 3D finite element models. In addition, a weather station was constructed within the immediate vicinity of the monitored bridg...

Structural Performance of Bridge Approach Slabs under Given Embankment Settlement

Abstract: Soil embankment settlement causes concrete approach slabs of bridges to lose their contact and support from the soil. When soil settlement occurs, the slab will bend in a concave manner that causes a sudden change in slope grade near its ends. Meanwhile, loads on the slab will also redistribute to the ends of the slab, which may result in faulting across the roadway at the ends of the approach slab. Eventually, the rideability of the bridge approach slab will deteriorate. The current American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials code specifications do not provide clear guidelines to design approach slabs considering the embankment settlements. State Departments of Transportation are spending millions of dollars each year to deal with problems near the ends of approach slabs. To investigate the effect of embankment settlements on the performance of the approach slab, a three-dimensional finite element analysis was conducted in the present study, considering the interaction between the approach slab and the embankment soil, and consequently the separation of the slab and soil. The predicted internal moments of the approach slab provide design engineers with a scientific basis to properly design the approach slab considering different levels of embankment settlements. A proper design of the approach slab will help mitigate the rideability problems of the slab.

Vibration Control of Railway Bridges under High-Speed Trains Using Multiple Tuned Mass Dampers

Abstract: In this paper, multiple tuned mass dampers (MTMDs) are considered for suppressing the vibration of railway bridges under high-speed trains. The interaction equations of motion between the vehicle and the bridge with MTMDs have been developed. The effectiveness of MTMDs on suppressing resonant vibration of railway bridges is examined and the optimum parameters of MTMDs for suppressing the resonant vibration are proposed. The results indicate that the use of the MTMD with the optimum parameters reduces the displacement and acceleration responses of railway bridges significantly.

Truck Loading and Fatigue Damage Analysis for Girder Bridges Based on Weigh-in-Motion Data

Abstract: Based on data collected by weigh-in-motion (WIM) measurements, truck traffic is synthesized by type and loading condition. Three-dimensional nonlinear models for the trucks with significant counts are developed from the measured data. Six simply supported multigirder steel bridges with spans ranging from 10.67 m (35 ft) to 42.67 m (140 ft) are analyzed using the proposed method. Road surface roughness is generated as transversely correlated random processes using the autoregressive and moving average model. The dynamic impact factor is taken as the average of 20 simulations of good road roughness. Live-load spectra are obtained by combining static responses with the calculated impact factors. A case study of the normal traffic from a specific site on the interstate highway I-75 is illustrated. Static loading of the heaviest in each truck type is compared with that of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials standard design truck HS20-44. Several important trucks causing fatig...

Reliability-Based Load and Resistance Factor Rating Using In-Service Data

Abstract: Traditional bridge evaluation techniques are based on design-based deterministic equations that use limited site-specific data. They do not necessarily conform to a quantifiable standard of safety and are often quite conservative. The newly emerging load and resistance factor rating (LRFR) method addresses some of these shortcomings and allows bridge rating in a manner consistent with load and resistance factor design (LRFD) but is not based on site-specific information. This paper presents a probability-based methodology for load-rating bridges by using site-specific in-service structural response data in an LRFR format. The use of a site-specific structural response allows the elimination of a substantial portion of modeling uncertainty in live load characterization (involving dynamic impact and girder distribution), which leads to more accurate bridge ratings. Rating at two different limit states, yield and plastic collapse, is proposed for specified service lives and target reliabilities. We consider a conditional Poisson occurrence of identically distributed and statistically independent (i.i.d.) loads, uncertainties in field measurement, modeling uncertainties, and Bayesian updating of the empirical distribution function to obtain an extreme-value distribution of the time-dependent maximum live load. An illustrative example uses in-service peak-strain data from ambient traffic collected on a high-volume bridge. Serial independence of the collected peak strains and of the counting process, as well as the asymptotic behavior of the extreme peak-strain values, are investigated. A set of in-service load and resistance factor rating (ISLRFR) equations optimized for a suite of bridges is developed. Results from the proposed methodology are compared with ratings derived from more traditional methods.

Damage Analysis of Hanshin Expressway Viaducts during 1995 Kobe Earthquake. I: Residual Inclination of Reinforced Concrete Piers

Abstract: The damage suffered by elevated viaducts of the Hanshin Expressway Kobe Route during the 1995 Kobe earthquake is described with emphasis on reinforced concrete (RC) piers. Although many piers were severely damaged, it is also true that the damage to many piers appeared moderate or even mild. On the other hand, a number of piers suffered from large residual inclination in spite of the apparently light damage. By considering that the large residual inclination of piers included severe earthquake-induced damage, it is pointed out that almost all the RC single piers from P35 to P350 received consistently severe damage. The cause of large residual inclination, especially in apparently nondamaged piers, is studied. A dynamic analysis of a single RC pier is conducted to study the relationship between residual inclination and residual deformation of a pier. As a result, we find that the flexural residual deformation of a pier cannot explain the observed large residual inclination, but it is suggested that the pulling out of reinforcing bar from the footing can be a primary cause of the observed large residual inclination.

Damage analysis of hanshin expressway viaducts during 1995 kobe earthquake. ii. damage mode of single reinforced concrete piers

Abstract: The damage mode that single reinforced concrete (RC) piers of the Hanshin Expressway Kobe Route suffered during the 1995 Kobe earthquake is discussed. On the Kobe Route, many single RC piers suffered from flexural mode damage; however, some suffered from shear failure, and most shear failure occurred in piers with rectangular cross sections. The flexural and shear capacity of each pier are calculated based on the design documents, and the ratio of flexure to shear capacity, r, is calculated by taking into account the mass of the pier column. It is found that the damage mode (flexure or shear) in the severely damaged single RC piers from P1 to P350 can be explained by the value of r, either >1.0 (flexural mode) or <1.0 (shear mode).

Swaying of pedestrian bridges

Abstract: The paper considers nonlinear (autoparametric) resonance in footbridges as a reason for excessive lateral vibrations induced by walking pedestrians. To describe the above-mentioned phenomenon, a physical model (an elastic pendulum) is proposed. Under the special frequency conditions (the ratio between frequencies of vertical and lateral beam modes is about 2, or 2:1), nonlinear resonance becomes possible if a vertically excited mode is near a primary resonance and a load parameter (a static displacement caused by pedestrians) is equal or more than its critical value. When the increasing load parameter passes through the critical value, a jump phenomenon is observed for the lateral mode and the vertical mode is saturated. Swaying of pedestrian bridges can be treated as a two-step process. The first step (achievement of the jump phenomenon), described in the paper, is the condition for the beginning of the second step—the process of interaction between applied forces and the lateral mode of vibration.

Fatigue Performance of Stringer-to-Floor-Beam Connections in Riveted Railway Bridges

Abstract: The behavior of double-angle stringer-to-floor-beam connections in riveted railway bridges is examined experimentally. A series of static and fatigue tests were performed on three full-scale bridge parts taken from an old riveted railway bridge. The results of the static tests reveal that the amount of end moment developed in these connections as a result of their rotational stiffness could be considerable. As a result of the cyclic variation in this moment, fatigue damage might develop in these connections. This damage was, however, observed to have a fairly low propagation rate and did not immediately reduce the load-carrying function of the connections.

Transverse Cracking of Concrete Bridge Decks: Effects of Design Factors

Abstract: Early transverse cracking is one of the dominant forms of bridge deck defects experienced by a large number of transportation agencies. These cracks often initiate soon after the bridge deck is constructed, and they are caused by restrained shrinkage of concrete. Transverse cracks increase the maintenance cost of a bridge structure and reduce its life span. Most of the past efforts addressing transverse bridge deck cracking have focused on changes over the years in concrete material properties and construction practices. However, recent studies have shown the importance of design factors on transverse bridge deck cracking. This paper presents results of a comprehensive finite-element (FE) study of deck and girder bridge systems to understand and evaluate crack patterns, stress histories, as well as the relative effect of different design factors such as structural stiffness on transverse deck cracking. The results of this study demonstrate the development of transverse deck cracking and emphasize the importance of these design factors. They also recommend preventive measures that can be adopted during the design stage in order to minimize the probability of transverse deck cracking.

Dynamic Response of Three Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite Bridges

Abstract: Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite bridge decks are gaining the attention of bridge owners because of their light self-weight, corrosion resistance, and ease of installation. Constructed Facilities Center at West Virginia University working with the Federal Highway Administration and West Virginia Department of Transportation has developed three different FRP decking systems and installed several FRP deck bridges in West Virginia. These FRP bridge decks are lighter in weight than comparable concrete systems and therefore their dynamic performance is equally as important as their static performance. In the current study dynamic tests were performed on three FRP deck bridges, namely, Katy Truss Bridge, Market Street Bridge, and Laurel Lick Bridge, in the state of West Virginia. The dynamic response parameters evaluated for the three bridges include dynamic load allowance (DLA) factors, natural frequencies, damping ratios, and deck accelerations caused by moving test trucks. It was found that the DLA f...

Reliability Analysis of Suspension Bridges against Fatigue Failure from the Gusting of Wind

Abstract: A fatigue reliability analysis of suspension bridges due to the gustiness of the wind velocity is presented by combining overall concepts of bridge aerodynamics, fatigue analysis, and reliability analysis. For this purpose, the fluctuating response of the bridge deck is obtained for buffeting force using a finite-element method and a spectral analysis in frequency domain. Annual cumulative fatigue damage is calculated using Palmgren–Miner’s rule, stress-fatigue curve approach and different forms of distribution for stress range. In order to evaluate the reliability, both first-order second-moment (FOSM) method and full distribution procedure (assuming Weibull distribution for fatigue life) are used to evaluate the fatigue reliability. Probabilities of fatigue failure of the Thomas Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge for a number of important parametric variations are obtained in order to make some general observations on the fatigue reliability of suspension bridges. The results of the study show that the F...

Dynamic and Impact Behavior of Half-Through Arch Bridges

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to present the results of an investigation of the dynamic and impact characteristics of half-through arch bridges with rough decks caused by vehicles moving across them. Seven arch bridges modeled as three-dimensional structures with overall span lengths ranging from 20 to 200 m (65.5 to 656.2 ft) are analyzed. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Specifications HS20-44 truck is the applied vehicle loading used in the analysis and is simulated as a three-dimensional, nonlinear vehicle model with 11 degrees of freedom. Truck components include the body, suspension, and tires. The bridge deck surface is assumed to have a “good” surface roughness and is simulated using a stochastic process (power spectral density function). The effect on impact factors of span length, rise-to-span ratio, and vehicle speed is discussed. The results of the analyses show that the impact factors of bending moment and axial force will not exceed 0.4 and 0.25, respec...

Behavior of Cyclically Loaded Squat Reinforced Concrete Bridge Columns Upgraded with Advanced Composite-Material Jackets

Abstract: This paper summarizes comprehensive experimental studies on scaled models of squat bridge columns repaired and retrofitted with advanced composite-material jackets. In the experimental program, a total of 14 half-scale squat circular and rectangular reinforced concrete columns were tested under fully reversed cyclic shear in a double bending configuration. In order to provide a basis for comparison, a total of three as-built columns were tested. Another 10 column samples were tested after being retrofitted with different composite jacket systems. One circular as-built column was repaired after failure. The repair process involved both crack injection as well as addition of carbon/epoxy composite jacket. The repaired column was then retested and evaluated. Experimental results showed that all as-built columns developed an unstable behavior and failed in brittle shear mode. The common failure mode for all retrofitted samples was due to flexure with significant improvement in the column ductility. The repaired column demonstrated ductility enhancement over the as-built sample.