TIE GIRDER FRACTURE IN SIOUXLAND VETERANS MEMORIAL BRIDGE

The Siouxland Veterans Memorial Bridge, from Sioux City, Nebraska, to Sioux City, Iowa, was opened to traffic in January 1981. In May 1982 Iowa Department of Transportation personnel discovered a fracture across the full width of the top flange on the down stream tie girder. The investigation into the cause of the fracture included chemical and physical testing and fractographic and metallographic examinations. Results of the latter examinations showed that the fracture originated at a gas-flame-cut edge of the 2 3/4-in.-thick A588 flange plate. It arrested at least once at a depth of 0.37 in. and possibly earlier at a depth of about 0.05 in. before propagating in a brittle mode across the flange. The fracture surface was heavily corroded, indicating that the fracture had occurred long before its discovery. The physical tests indicated that the plate in which the fracture occurred did not meet the specified toughness requirements. Additional tests on samples of material extracted from other parts of the girders revealed highly variable toughness properties, some of which did not meet the requirements of the specifications either.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1988/1180/1180-006.pdf
• Record URL:
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1180, Bridge Design and Testing. 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
• Authors:
  • Hanson, John M
  • Koob, Michael J
  • Blake, Gilbert T
• Publication Date: 1988

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 33-39
• Monograph Title: Bridge design and testing
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1180
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Chemical tests; Corrosion; Flanges; Fracture mechanics; Girders; Highway bridges; Metallography; Specifications; Toughness
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fracture
• Old TRIS Terms: Physical tests
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00485573
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 030904720X
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 31 1989 12:00AM