OVERLOAD TESTING OF AN EXPERIMENTAL PRESTRESSED CONCRETE BRIDGE

An experimental prestressed concrete I-beam bridge was constructed and tested at The Pennsylvania State University. One span of this two-span, simply supported curved bridge had a conventional, reinforced, composite, cast-in-place concrete deck; the other was constructed with precast, prestressed concrete planks topped with reinforced cast-in-place concrete. Each span was supported by six precast, prestressed concrete I-beams. The structure was instrumented for measuring beam strains and deflections, deck concrete surface strains, and deck reinforcing steel strains. Various methods were also employed to monitor deck deterioration. The behavior of the bridge was studied under static load, repeated load, and overload conditions during a 2-1/2 year test period. Test results indicated no significant differences in the structural behavior of the two spans, implying that current design methods are applicable to bridge decks utilizing precast, prestressed planks. However, present design methods appear to be conservative for both types of construction. Beam strains and deflections, deck strains, and live load moments were all considerably below the values indicated by design computations. Lateral load distributions to the interior beams showed close agreement with design values; however, load distribution to the exterior beams was 53 percent greater than design. Longitudinal wheel load distribution agreed closely with currently accepted theory. Bridge behaviour under overload substantiated the linear behavior assumed in current design. /Author/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and conducted in cooperation with DOT, Federal Highway Administration.
• Corporate Authors:

  Pennsylvania State University, University Park

  Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, Transportation Research Building
  University Park, PA  United States  16802
• Authors:
  • Barnoff, R M
  • Ordorff Jr, J A
  • Harbaugh Jr, R B
• Publication Date: 1977-3

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 127 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Bridge superstructures; Cast in place structures; Deflection; Deterioration; I beams; Load tests; Load transfer; Oversize loads; Prestressed concrete; Slabs; Strain (Mechanics)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Bridge spans; Overloads
• Old TRIS Terms: Strains
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00174422
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-PA-RD-71-8-4 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: PennDOT Proj 71-8
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 14 1978 12:00AM