Assessing the Damage Potential in Pretensioned Bridges Caused by Increased Truck Loads Due to Freight Movements (Phase II)

With aging and deterioration of bridges, evaluation of existing conditions of their structural elements becomes vital to engineers and public officials when deciding how to repair or replace the structures. The ability to obtain necessary information on these conditions is often expensive and time consuming, especially for concrete bridges where the reinforcement is not available for inspection. Employing the surface-strain relief method could allow for accurate evaluation of aged or damaged prestressed members. The surface-strain relief method was developed to measure initial or pre-existing strains in a concrete member. It involves relieving the strain in the member and measuring the change in strain. Two methods were tested in this study—one used a linear electrical-resistance strain gage and a three-inch-diameter diamond concrete core bit to cut around the gage, and the second method used a laser-speckle imaging device and a diamond cutting wheel to create notches perpendicular to the axis of maximum strain. Both methods measured the change in strain and related it to within 10% of the actual fse. The method of cutting notches and the laser-speckle imaging device provided a simpler method to be implemented in the field, while the coring method achieved a higher level of accuracy and precision.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Mid-America Transportation Center

  University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  2200 Vine Street, PO Box 830851
  Lincoln, NE  United States  68583-0851

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Peterman, Robert J
  • Hammerschmidt, Steven F
• Publication Date: 2011-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 107p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge members; Nondestructive tests; Prestressed concrete bridges; Strain (Mechanics); Strain gages; Structural analysis
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01480967
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MATC-KSU: 252, 25-1121-0001-252
• Files: UTC, TRIS, RITA, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: May 8 2013 11:29AM