REPORT ON THE INSPECTION AND ANALYSIS OF THE ST. MARY'S BRIDGE

THE REPORT CONSISTS OF THREE MAIN PARTS: (1) A DESCRIPTION OF THE OBSERVED PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THE BRIDGE, (2) A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AND LOAD CAPACITY RATING OF THE BRIDGE BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THE INSPECTION AND ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE 1965 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR HIGHWAY BRIDGES OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY OFFICIALS, AND (3) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE REPAIR, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF THE BRIDGE. THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THE BRIDGE WAS FOUND TO BE QUITE GOOD. HOWEVER, SOME LOSS OF SECTION FROM RUST IN STRUCTURAL MEMBERS WAS NOTED AND SOME MEMBERS WERE FOUND NOT TO BE FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. THIS WAS BASED ON VISUAL INSPECTION AND SOME USE OF ULTRASONIC TESTING TECHNIQUES. THE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE BRIDGE SHOULD BE RATED FOR 8-TON CAPACITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AASHO 1965 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR HIGHWAY BRIDGES. THE LIMITING ELEMENTS ARE THE STIFFENING TRUSS MEMBERS AND THE FLOOR SYSTEM OF THE SUSPENSION SPAN. THE RELATIVELY LOW RATING IS PARTLY DUE TO THE DIFFERING REQUIREMENTS FOR LOAD AND ALLOWABLE STRESSES BETWEEN THE PRESENT-DAY AASHO SPECIFICATIONS AND THE SPECIFICATIONS USED IN THE DESIGN OF THE BRIDGE. THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT INCLUDE THE RETENTION OF THE PRESENTLY IMPOSED 5,500 POUND LOAD LIMIT UNTIL THE CAUSE OF THE COLLAPSE OF THE SIMILAR PT. PLEASANT BRIDGE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, THE STRUCTURAL REPAIR OF MINOR ELEMENTS OF THE BRIDGE NOTED AS BEING DAMAGED, DETERIORATED OR NON- FUNCTIONING, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROGRAM OF REGULAR ANNUAL INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE. /BPR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Hpr-1 /4/, NO 29,
• Corporate Authors:

  Hardesty & Hanover

  ,    

  West Virginia State Road Commission

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

  Bureau of Public Roads /US

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Publication Date: 1968-4

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bearing capacity; Bridge design; Bridges; Highway bridges; Inspection; Maintenance; Physical condition; Rusting; Structural analysis; Structural design; Ultrasonic tests
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218029
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Nov 29 1994 12:00AM