RESEARCH PAYS OFF. SMALL BARS LEAD TO LARGE SAVINGS

Experience in Ontario is described in which concrete bridge decks resisted heavy wheel loads in ways other than the flexural mechanism which is the basis for deck design in the AASHTO Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges. Research was conducted to determine the way in which this came about. The research program included laboratory and field tests, and model studies. The results indicated that even deteriorated bridge decks could still regularly carry heavy legal and special-permit loads. The results also suggested that decks could be designed with reduced amounts of reinforcing steel, which significantly reduces the overall cost of the structures. The research resulted in the 1979 edition of the Ontario Highway Bridge Design Code allowing a minimum of 0.3 percent reinforcement (the reinforcing steel area as a percentage of the cross section) for isotropically designed bridge decks. This is more than two-thirds less than the reinforcement normally used. It is estimated that more than $1 million per year in reinforcing costs has been saved by using the isotropic deck design method.

• Record URL:
  • https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/rpo/rpo.trn132.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07386826
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Publication Date: 1987-9

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 18-19
• Serial:
  • TR News
  • Issue Number: 132
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0738-6826
  • Serial URL: https://doi.org/10.17226/895

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Bridge design; Bridges; Concrete; Reinforcing steel; Research; Savings; Specifications; Structural design; Wheel loads
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Research; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00475076
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 31 1987 12:00AM