A STRUCTURAL MODEL STUDY OF LOAD DISTRIBUTION IN BOX-BEAM BRIDGES

A MODEL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DESIGN A HIGHLY EFFICIENT STRUCTURAL MODEL SYSTEM TO STUDY THE STATIC LIVE LOAD DISTRIBUTION IN A PARTICULAR TYPE HIGHWAY BRIDGE. THE BRIDGE TYPE HAS A BEAM- SLAB SUPERSTRUCTURE CONSISTING OF A REINFORCED CONCRETE CAST-IN-PLACE SLAB CONSTRUCTED TO ACT COMPOSITELY WITH PRECAST PRESTRESSED CONCRETE SPREAD BOX BEAMS. A THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF THE SIMILITUDE REQUIREMENTS IS PRESENTED. THE DESIGN CONDITIONS FOR THE MODEL SYSTEM ARE DISCUSSED, AND A LENGTH SCALE OF 16 IS ADOPTED. PLEXIGLAS WAS SELECTED AS THE MOST APPROPRIATE MATERIAL. SPECIAL ATTENTION WAS GIVEN TO THE CREEP PHENOMENON IN PLEXIGLAS. THE CREEP COMPENSATING TECHNIQUE WAS USED AND ITS MATHEMATICAL PROOF IS PRESENTED. A MODEL VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED WITH ADJUSTABLE AXLE LOAD RATIOS, IN ORDER TO SUBJECT THE BRIDGE MODELS TO DESIGN VEHICULAR LOADS. PILOT TESTS DEMONSTRATED THE FEASIBILITY OF THE USE OF PLEXIGLAS MODELS. THE DESIGN OF THE MODEL SYSTEM IS PRESENTED WHICH ENABLES A SYSTEMATIC EVALUATION OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARAMETERS AFFECTING LIVE LOAD DISTRIBUTION IN BOX-BEAM BRIDGES. THE EXPERIMENTAL DATA WERE RECORDED DIRECTLY ON PUNCHED CARDS, PERMITTING THE DATA TO BE ANALYZED AND ALL CALCULATIONS TO BE PERFORMED WITH A DIGITAL COMPUTER ON THE SAME DAY OF THE TEST. THE TESTS WERE DESIGNED AND CONDUCTED SO THAT THE EXPERIMENTAL DATA COULD BE SUBJECTED TO A PROPER STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS ARE PRESENTED IN GRAPHICAL FORM, AND THE BEHAVIORS OF 17 DIFFERENT CROSS- SECTIONS TESTED ARE COMPARED. THE INFLUENCE OF BEAM SIZE, NUMBER OF BEAMS, SLAB THICKNESS, AND THE EFFECT OF CURB, PARAPET, AND DIAPHRAGMS IS ALSO DISCUSSED.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rpt No 322.1, 152 PP, 62 FIG, 5 TAB, 24 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  Lehigh University

  Bethlehem, PA  United States  18015
• Authors:
  • Macias, RENDON MA
  • VanHorn, D A
• Publication Date: 1968-5

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Axle load force; Beams; Box beams; Cast in place structures; Data collection; Digital computers; Highway bridges; Live loads; Load transfer; Precast concrete; Prestressed concrete; Prestressing; Punched cards; Reinforced concrete; Slabs; Static loads; Statistical analysis; Structural models
• Uncontrolled Terms: Model tests
• Old TRIS Terms: Data recording
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Data and Information Technology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00208948
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 21 1994 12:00AM