Strength and Ductility of HPS-100W I-Girders in Negative Flexure

In current AASHTO LRFD bridge design specifications, the nominal flexural strength of I-girders made from steel with a yield stress >345 MPa (>50 ksi) is limited to the yield moment rather than the plastic moment and inelastic design procedures are not permitted. With the recent development of high performance steel (HPS) for highway bridges, the need for these restrictions should be revisited. This paper focuses on I-girders made from HPS-100W steel. Two I-girders were designed with HPS-100W steel according to the AASHTO LRFD specifications, neglecting current restrictions related to the use of high strength steels. The I-girders were tested to failure under three-point loading, which simulated the condition of negative flexure at the pier of a continuous-span bridge. The flexural strength and ductility of the HPS-100W I-girders are compared with the strength and ductility anticipated by the AASHTO LRFD specifications for conventional steel I-girders. In addition, the results of relevant previous tests of conventional steel I-girders are summarized and compared with the HPS-100W I-girder test results.