FHWA Research and Technology Evaluation: Gusset Plates
On August 1, 2007, the I–35W Mississippi River Bridge (I–35W Bridge) in Minneapolis, MN, collapsed. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) turned to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to provide technical expertise during their investigation. In response, NTSB issued recommendations to FHWA and the American Association of State Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to prevent similar catastrophic bridge failures. An FHWA research project to assess the performance and design of steel gusset plate connections—referred to in this report as the Gusset Plate Project—facilitated actions that addressed one of the final NTSB recommendations. The main goal of the project was to improve bridge safety by providing research and guidance on gusset plates used to connect main load carrying members. As part of the FHWA Research and Technology (R&T) program evaluation, FHWA decided to evaluate the Gusset Plate Project to better understand how FHWA’s investment in gusset plate research has affected the design and rating of gusset plates. This report documents the findings of a summative evaluation of the Gusset Plate Project. The report focuses on outcomes resulting from collaboration between FHWA and NTSB.
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Corporate Authors:
Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Cambridge, MA United States 02142Federal Highway Administration
Office of Corporate Research, Technology, and Innovation Management
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, VA United States 22101 -
Authors:
- Edmiston, Sharon Chan
- Merrefield, Clark
- Oster, Alexandra
- Sposato, Joseph
- Stahl, Leslie
- Publication Date: 2016-1
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Edition: Final Report
- Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 44p
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Cooperation; Design; Evaluation; Gusset plates; Highway bridges; Information dissemination; Load factor; Research projects; Specifications
- Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Highway Administration; U.S. National Transportation Safety Board
- Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Research;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01636710
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-HRT-17-039
- Files: NTL, TRIS, RITA, ATRI, USDOT
- Created Date: May 30 2017 8:24AM