Effective Temperature and Longitudinal Movement in Integral Abutment Bridges

Jointless bridges promote reduced maintenance costs, improved riding quality, lower impact loads, reduced snowplow damage to decks and approaches, and improved seismic resistance. In spite of many of these recognized benefits, the behavior of such structures is not yet fully understood, and nationally adopted design criteria are still lacking. This paper presents results from an experimental and analytical research program, funded by the Federal Highway Administration, on the behavior of jointless and integral abutment bridges. The experimental work included testing and monitoring of bridge models and a bridge structure in the field, tests of bridge components, and a field survey of fifteen jointless bridges. Experimental results have resolved many questions regarding environmental effects and long-term and time dependent loading in combination with live and dead load. The analytical work evaluated the response of jointless bridges with respect to various design parameters. The research indicated that analysis procedures can be used to adequately quantify the structural response if accurate material and environmental parameters are known. Simplified design procedures are recommended based on this research. A study of the effects of longitudinal bridge movement on jointless integral abutment bridges was a major focus of the research. A bridge will expand and contract from seasonal and diurnal variations in temperature and will contract with concrete creep and shrinkage strains. Piers and abutments must be designed to accommodate this movement, and the superstructure must be capable of carrying the forces induced by the stiffness of the piers and abutments. An important first step to understand the effect of longitudinal movement is to determine expected movement. Factors involved include an effective temperature range with seasonal and diurnal components. Diurnal components include daily shade temperature change and a solar effect. Other factors include the coefficient of thermal expansion, creep, shrinkage and restraint from piers and abutments. The overall variability of these factors causes uncertainty in the determination of bridge movements. Therefore the research program included studies to define appropriate temperature ranges for bridge design, dependent on location and type of bridge and to determine expected abutment and pier support movements and the potential variability of those movements.

• Record URL:
  http://www.cemr.wvu.edu/cfc/conference/Proceeding.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  West Virginia University, Morgantown

  Constructed Facilities Center
  Morgantown, WV  United States  26506-6101

  West Virginia Department of Transportation

  1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
  Charleston, WV  United States  25305-0440

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Oesterle, Ralph G
  • Volz, Jeffery S
• Conference:
  • Integral Abutment and Jointless Bridges (IAJB 2005)
  • Location: Baltimore Maryland, United States
  • Date: 2005-3-16 to 2005-3-18
• Publication Date: 2005

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 302-311
• Monograph Title: Integral Abutment and Jointless Bridges (IAJB 2005), March 16-18, 2005, Baltimore, Maryland

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge abutments; Bridge design; Bridge piers; Bridge superstructures; Creep; Daily; Design methods; Field tests; Jointless bridges; Monitoring; Shrinkage; Stiffness; Temperature; Thermal expansion
• Uncontrolled Terms: Coefficient of thermal expansion; Longitudinal movement; Seasonal variations; Structural behavior
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01090108
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Mar 20 2008 8:55AM