EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL EVALUATION OF AN ALUMINUM DECK BRIDGE

In response to a growing number of deteriorated and obsolete highway bridge decks, the Reynolds Metals Company has developed a multi-voided aluminum bridge deck system. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) agreed to implement the new aluminum deck system in a demonstration project. The Reynolds deck was employed to rehabilitate a functionally obsolete Route 58 highway bridge that spanned the Little Buffalo Creek near Clarksville, Virginia. Because the VDOT considered the project as experimental, the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC) implemented a study to evaluate the structural performance and serviceability of the Reynolds system. This study involved both experimental and analytical evaluations of the rehabilitated Route 58 bridge. The VTRC performed two field tests to evaluate the bridge response. Instrumentation, consisting of various gages and transducers, measured deck and girder displacements, strains, and accelerations during controlled static and dynamic vehicular load tests. Analytical evaluations were performed with the commercial, general-purpose finite element code ABAQUS. Three-dimensional finite element models were developed to predict the overall structural response of the Route 58 bridge. Model accuracy was verified by using response data acquired from field testing. Girder displacements, uniaxial deck strains, longitudinal normal girder strains, and natural frequencies of vibration were predicted with reasonable accuracy. The validated finite element models of the structure were utilized to perform evaluations of the aluminum deck and steel girder response, composite action, natural frequencies of vibration, and mode shapes. Results from this study clearly demonstrate that aluminum bridge decks are a feasible alternative to reinforced concrete decks from the standpoint of strength and serviceability.

• Record URL:
  http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/00-r10.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/15000/15700/15752/PB2000100615.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Virginia Transportation Research Council

  530 Edgemont Road
  Charlottesville, VA  United States  22903

  Virginia Department of Transportation

  Office of Public Affairs, 1221 East Broad Street
  Richmond, VA  United States  23219

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Misch Jr, P C
  • Barton, F W
  • Gomez, J P
  • Massarelli, P J
  • McKeel Jr, W T
• Publication Date: 1999-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 24 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Aluminum; Bridge decks; Demonstration projects; Dynamic tests; Field tests; Finite element method; Highway bridges; Load tests; Rehabilitation; Static tests; Structural analysis
• Identifier Terms: ABAQUS (Computer program); Reynolds Metals Company
• Geographic Terms: Virginia
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00789846
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/VTRC 00-R10,, Final Report
• Contract Numbers: 00021704
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Mar 23 2000 12:00AM