Behavior of 48-Year-Old Double-Tee Bridge Girders Made with Lightweight Concrete

This paper describes the experimental testing of 48-year-old concrete bridge girders that were fabricated using lightweight concrete. After the bridge was decommissioned, three girders were transported to the Systems, Material, and Structural Health (SMASH) Laboratory at Utah State University (USU). The double-tee girders were tested to quantify the effective prestress, flexural capacity, and deck punching shear strength. The experimental results were compared with calculated values based on recommended procedures in the AASHTO LRFD bridge design specifications. The AASHTO refined method underestimated the loss of prestress of the three girders by an average of 17.6%. The calculated flexural capacities were overestimated by an average of 34.0% when compared with the measured values. This unconservative result is believed to be a result of the deck deterioration. The average calculated punching shear capacity was within 3.0% of the measured values. The experimental results were also compared with analytical values using computer software. These nonlinear finite-element analyses (FEAs) were found to replicate the behavior of the flexural and punching shear experiments in terms of both the failure mechanism and magnitude.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000921
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/32947845
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
• Authors:
  • Pettigrew, Christopher S
  • Barr, Paul J
  • Maguire, Marc
  • Halling, Marv W
• Publication Date: 2016-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 04016054
• Serial:
  • Journal of Bridge Engineering
  • Volume: 21
  • Issue Number: 9
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 1084-0702
  • Serial URL: http://ojps.aip.org/beo

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aging (Materials); Bridge design; Deterioration; Flexural strength; Girders; Laboratory tests; Lightweight concrete
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01599564
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ASCE
• Created Date: May 20 2016 3:53PM