Load Testing of Wood-Concrete Beams Incorporating Recycled Utility Poles

A wood-concrete composite bridge constructed of recycled utility poles is a potentially cost effective solution to repair a portion of the 108,647 rural bridges that have been deemed functionally obsolete or structurally deficient and have a span under thirty feet in length. Wood-concrete bridges have been in use since 1929 with an excellent record of accomplishment for performance and durability with some bridges still in use after 69 years of service. This research project focuses on developing a design method for predicting the capacity of a composite longitudinal bridge deck section consisting of two utility poles topped with an interconnected concrete layer. The wood-concrete section is analyzed as a layered beam by using load and resistance factor design assuming the beam is fully composite. Adjustment factors are calculated to consider the additional mid-span stresses due to partially composite action. Full scale testing of the cast-in-place beams with a 29.52 ft span was performed with service and ultimate loads as high as 12.22 kips and 37.98 kips, respectively. The highest composite efficiency of the wood-concrete beams was determined to be 96.4%. An empirical relationship for modeling the time-dependent deflection during the critical 28-day curing period of the wood-concrete beams was developed.

• Record URL:
  http://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=600
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute

  North Dakota State University
  1320 Albrecht Boulevard
  Fargo, ND  United States  581052

  Mountain-Plains Consortium

  North Dakota State University
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • LeBorgne, Matthew R
  • Gutkowski, Richard M
• Publication Date: 2008-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 75p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Bridge design; Cast in place concrete; Deflection; Load and resistance factor design; Rural areas; Utility poles
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01475837
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MPC-08-197
• Files: UTC, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Mar 15 2013 9:48AM