Improved Geometric Design of Bridge Asphalt Plug Joints |
| |
Authors: | Philip Park Sherif El-Tawil Sang-Yeol Park |
| |
Affiliation: | 1Ph.D. Student, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Michigan, 2350 Hayward, GG Brown Bldg., Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (corresponding author). E-mail: parkph@umich.edu 2Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Michigan, 2350 Hayward, GG Brown Bldg., Ann Arbor, MI 48109. E-mail: eltawil@umich.edu 3Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Jeju National Univ., Daehakro 66, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, 690-756, Korea. E-mail: sypark@jejunu.ac.kr
|
| |
Abstract: | Asphalt plug joints (APJs) have several advantages over traditional bridge joints. They are easy and cheap to install and have good surface flatness. However, widespread application of APJs in bridges has been hindered by frequently observed premature failures. Detailed finite-element simulations are conducted to develop a better understanding of the parameters that influence APJ response under traffic and thermal loading conditions. The computational model employs a time and temperature dependent viscoplastic material model and is validated by comparing model results to previously published experimental data. The key parameters investigated are gap plate width, gap plate thickness, gap plate edge geometry, and geometry of the interface between pavement and APJ. The resulting information is synthesized into a proposed alternative APJ design that minimizes local demands deemed to be responsible for the observed early failures. |
| |
Keywords: | Asphalts Bridges Joints Finite-element method Design Stress concentration Viscosity Bridge failures |
|
|