THREE CASE HISTORIES OF CRACKING PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH STEEL BRIDGE FLOOR BEAMS. FINAL REPORT

Floor system cracking problems, the focus of the present study, occur in both structures of recent construction and in older bridges which have been in service for many years. The present study has rises out of specific cases of floor system cracks which are not immediately detrimental to the structural integrity of the floor system and which do not at the outset seem related to a usual design basis load effects. The cases forming the central focus of this report are: (1) The I-474 Shade-Lohmann Bridge over the Illinois River south of Peoria, (2) The I-74 Bridge over the Vermilion River at Danville, and (3) The I-74 Bridge over the Sangamon near Mahomet in Champaign County. The following is seen: Case 1: Cracking due to forces not associated with vertical vehicle loading. That is, evidence is strong that cracking arises from longitudinal load transmitted through the out of plane flexure of the floor beam web in the segment between the connection clip angles and the flange at either end. Calculations show that a very modest induced longitudinal deformation is associated with substantial local stresses at the web to flange junction which is the site of the cracking. Case 2: Fatigue failure of a detail with adverse geometry but with forces induced by vehicle loads which clearly account for the damage. A repair detail to reduce member forces has been suggested and is evaluated. Case 3: The development of a fatigue crack at a cope detail associate with a reasonable stress state for the damage observed, but with poor correlation with a limited controlled vehicle test and predictions of bridge behavior using a grid model. Additional field studies with more extensive instrumentation and a more comprehensive analytical model is needed to resolve uncertainties in this case.

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• Corporate Authors:

  University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  205 North Mathews Avenue
  Urbana, IL  United States  61801-2352

  Illinois Department of Transportation

  Bureau of Materials and Physical Research
  126 East Ash Street
  Springfield, IL  United States  62704-4766

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Walker, W H
  • Holbrook, M D
  • Cassity, P A
• Publication Date: 1992-6

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 62 p.
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Illinois University, Urbana-Champaign
  • Publisher: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
  • ISSN: 0197-9191

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Beams; Case studies; Deformation; Failure; Flanges; Floors; Fracture mechanics; Future; Metal bridges; Research; Steel bridges; Stresses; Webbing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Future research; Longitudinal
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Research; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00623610
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UILU-ENG-92-2007
• Contract Numbers: IHR-312
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 31 1992 12:00AM