Northern Red Oak Glued-Laminated Timber Bridge

A 5-year program to monitor the performance of a red oak longitudinal girder, transverse deck glued-laminated (glulam) highway bridge is presented. The bridge design details, including preservative treatment results, are described. The live loading results indicate that the predicted and observed live load beam deflections agree to within 7% when the stiffness of the individual beam laminations is used as a predictor and a 10% increase in beam stiffness due to composite action between the deck panel and logitudinal girders is incorporated into the design. The dimensional stability of the deck panels over 3 years has been monitored and analyzed. Significant reflexive cracking of the asphaltic wearing surface has been observed at the interface between each red oak deck panel. This has been attributed to the gap provided between each panel during construction, to the placement of the waterproof membrane directly over the creosote-treated deck panels, and to improper mating of the deck panels to the beams during installation of the lag bolts. Long-term (3-year) dead load deflection measurements indicate that after approximately 1 year, dead load deflections remain nearly constant for the interior beams. Elevations of the lower surface of the two exterior beams fluctuate considerably and vary seasonally. There is no evidence of delamination of the girders or deck panels after 4 years. However, there is some evidence of delamination of the curbs and the tops of rail posts.     

Experimental Behavior of Bridge Beams Retrofitted with Postinstalled Shear Connectors

A number of older bridges were constructed with floor systems consisting of a noncomposite concrete slab over steel girders. A potentially economical means of strengthening these floor systems is to connect the existing concrete slab and steel girders with postinstalled shear connectors to permit the development of composite action. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of this concept. Five large-scale noncomposite beams were constructed, and four of these were retrofitted with postinstalled shear connectors and tested under static load. The retrofitted composite beams were designed as partially composite with a 30% shear connection ratio. A noncomposite beam was also tested as a baseline specimen. Test results showed that the strength and stiffness of existing noncomposite bridge girders can be increased significantly. Further, excellent ductility of the strengthened partially composite girders was achieved by placing the postinstalled shear connectors near zero-moment regions to reduce slip demand on the connectors. The test results also showed that current simplified design approaches commonly used for partially composite beams in buildings provide good predictions of the strength and stiffness of partially composite bridge girders strengthened using postinstalled shear connectors.     

Testing, Analysis, and Evaluation of a GFRP Deck on Steel Girders

North Carolina has recently installed a fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) deck on steel girders at a site in Union County. The bridge was instrumented with foil strain gauges, strain transducers, and displacement transducers. The bridge was then tested with a simulated MS-22.5 design load. Experimental data confirmed full composite interaction between the girders and the FRP deck panels. The neutral axis was measured to be 383?mm above the bottom flange of the 618-mm-deep girder. It was found that composite action could be estimated within 3% using a transformed section analysis of the deck panels. For two lanes loaded, the maximum live load distribution factor was computed to be 0.75. When looking at the overall performance of the structure, the deck deflected 5?mm, with the allowable stress at least 10 times over the maximum stress measured in the material. The girder deflection of 7?mm was well within the parameters set forth by AASHTO. Simple span deflection equations were found to conservatively model the anticipated deflection of the girders when using the transformed section properties.     

Field Performance of the Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Deck of a Truss Bridge

The MD 24 Bridge over Deer Creek in Harford County, Md., was one of the projects chosen by the Federal Highway Administration’s Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program for bridge deck replacement by fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. A thorough discussion is presented on Maryland State Highway Administration’s first bridge rehabilitation project utilizing a FRP deck. The discussion includes design details, installation procedure, construction methods and in situ load testing with a wireless monitoring system. The research team installed a monitoring system to record the effects of live loads on the bridge system, including truss members, steel stringers, and plate action of the FRP deck. Finite-element models were also used in this phase. Dynamic effects of the FRP system, composite action between steel stringers and the FRP deck as well as the effective width and distribution factors of stringers were obtained and compared with the AASHTO specifications. Recommendations are also offered on improving the design details based on this experience.     

Analysis of an Orthotropic Deck Stiffened with a Cement-Based Overlay

Over the past years, with increasing traffic volumes and higher wheel loads, fatigue damage in steel parts of typical orthotropic steel bridge decks has been experienced on heavily trafficked routes. A demand exists to find a durable system to increase the fatigue safety of orthotropic steel bridge decks. A solution might be to enhance the stiffness of the traditional orthotropic bridge deck by using a cement-based overlay. In this paper, an orthotropic steel bridge deck stiffened with a cement-based overlay is analyzed. The analysis is based on nonlinear fracture mechanics, and utilizes the finite-element method. The stiffness of the steel deck reinforced with an overlay depends highly on the composite action. The composite action is closely related to cracking of the overlay and interfacial cracking between the overlay and underlying steel plate (debonding). As an example, a real size structure, the Far? bridges located in Denmark, are analyzed. The steel box girders of the Far? bridges spans 80?m, and have a depth of 3.5?m, and a width of 19.5?m. The focus of the present study is the top part of the steel box girders, which is constructed as an orthotropic deck plate. Numerous factors can influence the cracking behavior of the cement-based overlay system. Both mechanical and environmental loading have to be considered, and effects such as shrinkage, temperature gradients, and traffic loading are taken into account. The performance of four overlay materials are investigated in terms of crack widths. Furthermore, the analysis shows that debonding is initiated for a certain crack width in the overlay. The load level where cracking and debonding is initiated depends on the stress-crack opening relationship of the material.     

Designing and Testing of Concrete Bridge Decks Reinforced with Glass FRP Bars

In addition to their high strength and light weight, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite reinforcing bars offer corrosion resistance, making them a promising alternative to traditional steel reinforcing bars in concrete bridge decks. FRP reinforcement has been used in several bridge decks recently constructed in North America. The Morristown Bridge, which is located in Vermont, United States, is a single span steel girder bridge with integral abutments spanning 43.90 m. The deck is a 230 mm thick concrete continuous slab over girders spaced at 2.36 m. The entire concrete deck slab was reinforced with glass FRP (GFRP) bars in two identical layers at the top and the bottom. The bridge is well instrumented at critical locations for internal temperature and strain data collection with fiber-optic sensors. The bridge was tested for service performance using standard truck loads. The construction procedure and field test results under actual service conditions revealed that GFRP rebar provides very good and promising performance.     

Fatigue Behavior of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer-Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Bridge Girders

This study examines the effects of one-dimensional fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite rehabilitation systems on the flexural fatigue performance of reinforced concrete bridge girders. Eight 508?mm deep and 5.6?m long reinforced concrete T-beams, with and without bonded FRP reinforcement on their tensile surfaces, were tested with a concentrated load at midspan under constant amplitude cyclic loading. The objective of this investigation is to establish the effect that these repair systems have on the fatigue behavior and remaining life of the girders. Results indicate that the fatigue behavior of such retrofit beams is controlled by the fatigue behavior of the reinforcing steel. The fatigue life of a reinforced concrete beam can be increased by the application of an FRP retrofit, which relieves some of the stress carried by the steel. The observed increase in fatigue life, however, is limited by the quality of the bond between the carbon FRP and concrete substrate. Debonding, initiating at midspan and progressing to a support, is common and is driven partially by the crack distribution and shear deformations of the beam.     

Evaluation of In-Service Performance of Tom’s Creek Bridge Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Superstructure

The Tom’s Creek Bridge is a small-scale demonstration project involving the use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite girders as the main load-carrying members. The project is intended to serve two purposes. First, by calculating bridge design parameters such as the dynamic load allowance, transverse wheel load distribution, and deflections under service loading, the Tom’s Creek Bridge aids in modifying current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials bridge design standards for use with FRP composite materials. Second, by evaluating the FRP girders after exposure to service conditions, the project begins to answer questions about the long-term performance of these advanced composite material beams when used in bridge design. This paper details the in-service analysis of the Tom’s Creek Bridge. Five load tests, at 6-month intervals, were conducted on the bridge. Using midspan strain and deflection data gathered from the FRP composite girders during these tests, the aforementioned bridge design parameters have been determined. The Tom’s Creek Bridge was determined to have a maximum dynamic load allowance, IM, of 0.90, a transverse wheel load distribution factor, g, of 0.101, and a maximum deflection of L/490. Two bridge girders were removed from the Tom’s Creek Bridge after 15 months of service loading. These FRP composite girders were tested at the Structures and Materials Research Laboratory at Virginia Tech for stiffness and ultimate strength and compared to preservice values for the same beams. These measurements indicate that, after 15 months of service, the FRP composite girders have not significantly changed in stiffness or ultimate moment capacity.     

Sustained-Load and Fatigue Performance of a Hybrid FRP-Concrete Bridge Deck System

The design and construction of bridge systems with long-term durability and low maintenance requirements is a significant challenge for bridge engineers. One possible solution to this challenge could be through the use of new materials, e.g., fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, with traditional materials that are arranged as an innovative hybrid structural system where the FRP serves as a load-carrying constituent and a protective cover for the concrete. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation designed to evaluate the performance of a 3/4 scale hybrid FRP-concrete (HFRPC) bridge deck and composite connection under sustained and repeated (fatigue) loading. In addition, following the sustained-load and fatigue portions of the experimental study, destructive testing was performed to determine the first strength-based limit state of the hybrid deck. Results from the sustained-load and fatigue testing suggest that the HFRPC deck system might be a viable alternative to traditional cast-in-place reinforced concrete decks showing no global creep behavior and no degradation in stiffness or composite action between the deck and steel girders after 2 million cycles of dynamic loading with a peak load of 1.26 times the scaled tandem load (TL). Furthermore, the ultimate strength test showed that the deck failed prior to the global superstructure at a load approximately six times the scaled TL.     

Laboratory and Field Testing of Composite Bridge Superstructure

Bridge rehabilitation utilizing a hybrid fiber-reinforced polymeric composite has recently been completed in Blacksburg, Va. This project involved replacing the superstructure in the Tom's Creek Bridge, a rural short-span traffic bridge with a timber deck and corroded steel girders, with a glue-laminated timber deck on composite girders. To verify the bridge design and to address construction issues prior to the rehabilitation, a full-scale mock-up of the bridge was built and tested in the laboratory. This setup utilized the actual composite beams, glue-laminated timber deck panels, and the skewed geometry implemented in the rehabilitation. Following rehabilitation, the bridge was field tested under controlled conditions (vehicle load and position). Both tests examined service load deflections, girder strains, load distribution, degree of composite action, interpanel deck deflections, and impact factor. The field test results indicate a service load deflection of L∕400 under moving loads and a high factor of safety in the composite members against material failure. The data from the field test serve as a baseline reference for future field durability assessments as part of a long-term performance and durability study.     

Evaluation of Effective Width and Distribution Factors for GFRP Bridge Decks Supported on Steel Girders

Glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bridge deck systems offer an attractive alternative to concrete decks, particularly for bridge rehabilitation projects. Current design practice treats GFRP deck systems in a manner similar to concrete decks, but the results of this study indicate that this approach may lead to nonconservative bridge girder designs. Results from a number of in situ load tests of three steel girder bridges having the same GFRP deck system are used to determine the degree of composite action that may be developed and the transverse distribution of wheel loads that may be assumed for such structures. Results from this work indicate that appropriately conservative design values may be found by assuming no composite action between a GFRP deck and steel girder and using the lever rule to determine transverse load distribution. Additionally, when used to replace an existing concrete deck, the lighter GFRP deck will likely result in lower total stresses in the supporting girders, although, due to the decreased effective width and increased distribution factors, the live-load-induced stress range is likely to be increased. Thus, existing fatigue-prone details may become a concern and require additional attention in design.     

Field Evaluation of Decommissioned Noncomposite Steel Girder Bridge

Field tests conducted on a noncomposite steel girder bridge are described. Two separate 36.6 m (120 ft) units, each three-span continuous, were subjected to increasing static loads by means of a trailer and concrete barriers. Results show that the girders acted as partially composite sections in the positive moment region up to the onset of yield. Due to curb participation and the transverse location of the applied load, exterior girders exhibited a higher degree of partially composite action. In the negative moment region, partially composite action was evident only in the exterior girders. As a result of partially composite action and curb participation, the yield load was about 7% higher than predicted. Bearing restraint is shown not to have a significant impact on the behavior of the tested bridges. In addition, the stiffness of the interior girders, as measured under the constant weight of a dump truck, are shown to be virtually unaffected by the heavy trailer loads. More significant changes in girder stiffness were observed between different transverse load positions of the dump truck.     

Parapet Strength and Contribution to Live-Load Response for Superload Passages

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of parapets on the live-load response of slab-on-girder steel bridges subjected to superload vehicles and the effects of these loads on the parapets. A superload is a special permit truck that exceeds the predefined weight limitation. The presence of parapets can result in reduced girder distribution factors (GDFs) for critical girders, and this reserve strength can be considered for passage of a superload truck. This reduction is investigated, as well as the effects of discontinuous parapets and the capacity of parapets. Two steel bridges with significantly different geometric proportions were analyzed to evaluate the sensitivity of the structure to the effects of parapets. It was found that the GDFs can be decreased by as much as 30%, depending on the stiffness of the girders and the transverse truck position if the parapets are included in the analysis. The axial forces and bending moments resisted by the parapets were compared with the capacity of the parapets. The parapets and their connection with the deck were found to have adequate strength to accommodate the demand imposed by the superload trucks included in the study. For the discontinuous parapets, the open joint was determined to be acting like a notch, which increases the bottom flange stresses in the positive moment region and the tensile deck stresses in the negative moment region.     

Behavior of Transverse Confining Systems for Steel-Free Deck Slabs

Extensive research conducted over the past eight years in Canada has led to a concrete deck slab of girder bridges that can be entirely free of any tensile reinforcement. This slab, known as the steel-free deck slab, derives its strength from its internal arching action, which is harnessed longitudinally by making the slab composite with the girders, and transversely by restraining the relative transverse movement of the top flanges of adjacent girders. Two steel-free deck slabs have already been built, in which the transverse confinement is provided by welding steel straps to the girders. This paper presents test results on two other kinds of transverse confining systems, which are applicable to both steel and concrete girders. It is shown that the steel-free deck slab, in addition to being more durable than slabs with steel reinforcement, can also prove to be more economical.     

Comparison of Three Flexural Retrofit Systems under Monotonic and Fatigue Loads

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, and little work has been done on it other than by the proprietors of the system. This study reports on a comparative study of the static and fatigue performance of reinforced concrete beams retrofitted with CAA, NSM, and PAF FRP retrofit systems. Ten medium-scale beams were tested: six strengthened specimens, two per retrofit method, were tested under cyclic loading conditions, and four specimens, one per retrofit method and one control specimen, were tested monotonically to failure. The results of this study indicate that although all three methods of FRP application result in significant strength increases over the control specimen under monotonic loading conditions, the CAA method is outperformed by the other methods under cyclic conditions. A number of other relevant detailed conclusions with respect to performance and practical application issues are presented for each of the methods of retrofit examined in this study. Significantly, clear evidence of FRP debonding in the midspan region prior to specimen failure is presented.     

Characterization of a Low-Profile Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Deck System for Moveable Bridges

Moveable bridges in Florida typically use open steel grid decks due to weight limitations. However, these decks present rideability, environmental, and maintenance problems, as they are typically less skid resistant than a solid riding surface, create loud noises, and allow debris to fall through the grids. Replacing open steel grid decks with a lightweight fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) deck can improve rideability and reduce maintenance costs, simultaneously satisfying the strict weight requirement for such bridges. In this investigation, a new low-profile, pultruded FRP deck system successfully passed the preliminary strength and fatigue tests per AASHTO requirements. Two two-span deck specimens were tested, one with the strong direction of the deck placed perpendicular to the supporting girders, whereas the other had a deck placed with 30° skew. This paper also describes a simplified finite-element approach that simulates the load–deformation behavior of the deck system. The results from the finite-element model showed a good correlation with the deflection and strain values measured from the tests.     

Approximate Series Solution for Analysis of FRP Composite Highway Bridges

The design of a deck-and-stringer bridge system is usually reduced to the analysis of a T-beam section, loaded by concentrated loads corresponding to an equivalent fraction of the applied truck load. This equivalent load is defined by wheel load–distribution factors, which approximate the overall behavior of the bridge superstructure. In this paper, a one-term approximation of a macroflexibility series solution including deformations for fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) deck-and-stringer orthotropic bridge systems, is used to develop explicit expressions for symmetric and asymmetric load distribution factors. It is significant that the equations presented herein include important parameters that represent, as accurately as possible, the response characteristics of the super structure, such as the geometry and material properties of the FRP deck and stringers, bridge aspect ratio, and number and spacing of stringers. As an illustration in actual design applications, the formulation presented in this paper is used to develop an analytical method for FRP deck-and-stringer bridge systems, and the method is verified by predicting the response of an all FRP model bridge in the lab and an FRP deck on steel stringers in the field. The results of the present formulation compare well with experimental lab and field results. The simplified analysis presented in this paper can be used with sufficient accuracy for the design of composite FRP deck on stringers bridges.     

Influence of Parapets and Aspect Ratio on Live-Load Distribution

Significant discrepancies in girder distribution factors have been observed between actual bridge field-testing results and AASHTO code predictions. One of the reasons for the discrepancies is that code methods fail to account for the existence of secondary members such as parapets in bridges. This research investigates the effects of parapets and bridge aspect ratio on live-load moment distribution for bridge girders. The influence on distribution factors of parapets with varying overhang lengths and of aspect ratio with varying roadway width is investigated. To study the effects of parapets and aspect ratios, 34 two-span continuous bridges with a 0° or a 45° skew angle and with varied structure parameters are analyzed using the finite element method. The distribution factors obtained from these analyses are compared with those from the AASHTO methods. The presence of parapets is shown to reduce distribution factors by as much as 36 and 13% for exterior and interior girders, respectively. The effect of parapets is slightly less for skewed bridges. Aspect ratio is shown to have very little effect on distribution factors until the ratio exceeds 1.8.     

Dynamic Response of Three Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite Bridges

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 factors for Katy Truss and Market Street bridges are within the AASHTO 1998 LRFD specifications, but the deck accelerations were found to be high for both these bridges. DLA factors for Laurel Lick bridge were found to be as high as 93% against the typical design value of 33%; however absolute deck stress induced by vehicle loads is less than 10% of the deck ultimate stress.     

Influence of Reinforcement on the Behavior of Concrete Bridge Deck Slabs Reinforced with FRP Bars

This paper presents the results of an experimental study to investigate the role of each layer of reinforcement on the behavior of concrete bridge deck slabs reinforced with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars. Four full-scale concrete deck slabs of 3,000?mm length by 2,500?mm width and 200?mm depth were constructed and tested in the laboratory. One deck slab was reinforced with top and bottom mats of glass FRP bars. Two deck slabs had only a bottom reinforcement mat with different reinforcement ratios in the longitudinal direction, while the remaining deck slab was constructed with plain concrete without any reinforcement. The deck slabs were supported on two steel girders spaced at 2,000?mm center to center and were tested to failure under a central concentrated load. The three reinforced concrete slabs had very similar behavior and failed in punching shear mode at relatively high load levels, whereas the unreinforced slab behaved differently and failed at a very low load level. The experimental punching capacities of the reinforced slabs were compared to the theoretical predictions provided by ACI 318-05, ACI 440.1R-06, and a model proposed by the writers. The tests on the four deck slabs showed that the bottom transverse reinforcement layer has the major influence on the behavior and capacity of the tested slabs. In addition, the ACI 318-05 design method slightly overestimated the punching shear strength of the tested slabs. The ACI 440.1R-06 design method yielded very conservative predictions whereas the proposed method provided reasonable yet conservative predictions.