STRESS HISTORY OF HIGHWAY BRIDGES - II

A stress and loading history study of two bridge sites, Knoxville and Harriman, was conducted by the University of Tennessee over a three year period. A data collection system developed on an earlier investigation, was used to obtain the stress history data. Problems in data acquisition precluded data collection at the Harriman bridge site, therefore all results are for the Knoxville bridges. Load history data was obtained at a weigh station approximately ten miles from the Knoxville bridge site. The Knoxville bridges were selected on the basis of high truck traffic volumes present. The data obtained was used in a proposed design procedure based on fatigue of the main bridge girders. The lives of the bridges were predicted using Miner's hypothesis, the root-mean-square method and the root-mean-cube method. Each method verified that fatigue was not a problem at the Knoxville bridge site even if traffic volumes or weights are increased within certain limits. The correlation of truck weight to summation of girder stresses appears to be high. Controlled load tests were performed and these results are reported in detail.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  Department of Civil Engineering
  Knoxville, TN  United States  37996-2010

  Tennessee Department of Transportation

  Office of Research and Planning
  Nashville, TN  United States  37219

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Goodpasture, D W
• Publication Date: 1976-6-30

Media Info

• Pagination: 75 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Axle load force; Bridge design; Bridges; Data collection; Girders; Highway bridges; Highway traffic; Load tests; Loads; Mechanical fatigue; Stresses; Structural analysis; Structural design; Trucks; Trucks by weight; Weight
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fatigue life; Stress concentration
• Geographic Terms: Tennessee
• Old TRIS Terms: Loading history; Roots /mathematical/; Truck effects (Bridges); Vehicular traffic
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Motor Carriers;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00151239
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/RD-77-S0565 Final Rpt., FCP 45F2242
• Contract Numbers: HP&R 931
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 13 1977 12:00AM