Evaluation of Finger Plate and Flat Plate Connection Design

This project investigates the cause(s) of premature deterioration of Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) finger plate and flat plate expansion devices under high traffic volumes and then uses that information to design new Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) finger plate and flat plate designs that are intended to last 40 years or more with minimal maintenance. To fully evaluate the expansion devices, a literature review and survey of current expansion devices used by transportation departments across the United States was conducted. The failure of the finger plate expansion devices were found to be contributed primarily to fatigue failure of the weld between the finger plate and the support beam beneath it as well as vertical misalignment due to poor construction. The flat plate expansion device was found to perform inadequately if the bridge span experiences rotation causing a gap between the sliding flat plate and the support angle or if construction of the device is deficient. Experimental testing was conducted on the finger plate device on Eastbound Blanchette Bridge on Highway I-70 in St. Louis and the flat plate device on Route 350 passing over Highway I-435 in Kansas City. The results were also used to validate Finite Element Models (FEMs) of the current expansion device designs. Testing of the finger devices found that dynamic impact in the finger device is generally between 40% and 70% and could be as much as 160% and the effect of misalignment of the fingers can results in 30% additional stresses. Testing of the flat plate device revealed significant stresses build in the sliding plate due to the differential movements of the abutment and bridge span. A robust finger plate device was designed to accommodate bridges which require large expansion lengths on high large volume routes. In addition suggestions for improvements of the existing finger plate device design were made for use on routes with lower traffic volumes. Repair and replacement best practices and details were also developed as part of this project.

• Record URL:
  https://spexternal.modot.mo.gov/sites/cm/CORDT/cmr16-008.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  https://spexternal.modot.mo.gov/sites/cm/CORDT/cmr16-008_sum.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Report date October 31, 2015; Published January 2016.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Missouri, Columbia

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Columbia, MO  United States  65211-2200

  HDR, Incorporated

  Kansas City, MO  United States 

  Missouri Department of Transportation

  Construction and Materials Division
  Jefferson City, MO  United States  65102

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Orton, Sarah
  • Salim, Hani A
  • Elsisi, Alaaeldin
  • Pelikan, Andrew
  • Barrett, David
  • Imhoff, Cory
  • Kuntz, Gregory
  • Wombacher, Matt
• Publication Date: 2015-10-31

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 297p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Best practices; Bridge design; Deterioration; Expansion joints; Field tests; Finite element method; Literature reviews; Load and resistance factor design; Repairing; Structural plates; Surveys
• Geographic Terms: Missouri
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01587740
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: cmr16-008
• Contract Numbers: MoDOT project #TR201506
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 27 2016 5:11PM