TESTING OF A STEEL DECK BRIDGE

TESTS ARE REPORTED OF AN EXPERIMENTAL BRIDGE BUILT BY BETHLEHEM STEEL CORPORATION AT APARROWS POINT, MARYLAND, IN 1964. THE BRIDGE WAS BUILT TO EXPLORE THE USE OF PREFABRICATED ALL-STEEL MODULAR UNITS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF HIGHWAY BRIDGES IN THE SPAN RANGE OF 20 TO 100 FEET. ASPHALT SURFACING WITH EPOXY MEMBRANE PROVIDED A SATISFACTORY PROTECTION FOR THE STEEL DECK OVER 3 YEARS OF FIELD PERFORMANCE. A SMOOTH WEARING SURFACE WAS ALSO PROVIDED. THE DISTRIBUTION OF WHEEL LOADS TO THE WEBS AND TO THE BOTTOM FLANGES OF MULTIPLE UNITS WAS DETERMINED IN OVERALL BENDING, BY TEST-LOADING IN THE FIELD WITH VARIOUS VEHICLES. LOCAL BENDING STRESSES IN THE DECK ASSEMBLY WERE FOUND BY PLACING THE WHEELS OF A SMALL, SPECIALLY-LOADED FLATBED TRUCK BETWEEN TRANSVERSE FLOOR BEAMS. THE CRITICAL LOCAL STRESS WAS FOUND TO OCCUR AT THE BOTTOM OF A LONGITUDINAL RIB, AT THE POINT WHERE THE RIB PASSES OVER THE FLOOR BEAM. STRESSES WERE FOUND TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE NUMBER OF TIRES, AND TO THE LOAD ON THE TIRES. ONE EXAMPLE OF A DETAIL IMPROVEMENT IS THE ADOPTION OF INDIVIDUAL TRAPEZOIDAL RIBS IN PLACE OF THE CONTINUOUS CORRUGATION FOR EASIER FABRICATION AND BETTER WELD INSPECTION ON FUTURE DESIGNS. THE SLIDING FABREEKA-TEFLON BEARINGS FUNCTIONED WELL, WITH NO SIGN OF DISTRESS. RESULTS OF THE BRIDGE TESTS HAVE ADEQUATELY CONFIRMED THE BEHAVIOR OF THE STRUCTURE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEORY AND HAVE LED TO IMPROVEMENTS IN DETAILS AND CONCEPTS FOR SECOND-GENERATION DESIGNS.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1968/253/253-002.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Steel Superstructures and presented at the 47th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Zuurbier, G W
• Publication Date: 1968

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: pp 21-34
• Monograph Title: Bridges
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 253
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt; Bending; Bending stress; Bituminous materials; Bridge bearings; Bridge decks; Bridge design; Bridges; Epoxides; Highway bridges; Load tests; Metal bridges; Prefabricated structures; Steel bridges; Stresses; Structural design; Surface treating; Testing; Wearing course (Pavements); Weldments; Wheel loads
• Old TRIS Terms: Bituminous surfacing; Epoxy
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00208909
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jan 23 1994 12:00AM