This paper investigates a particular bridge construction technique
which could result in a significant torsional moment. The
structural member under consideration is a prestressed concrete
girder for which no torsional consideration is made.
Torsional shear stresses can be adequately approximated for
an I-shaped girder. Laboratory model tests were performed to...
Thermal cracking of asphalt concrete pavements is responsible for millions
of dollars in annual maintenance and rehabilitation costs in the United States and
Canada. Thermal cracking is typically associated with low temperatures in
northern climates and at high elevations. However, another form of thermal
cracking, known as thermal fatigue cracking,...
Low temperature cracking is attributed to tensile stresses induced in an
asphalt concrete pavement that develop when the pavement is subjected to a cold
temperature. Cracking results in poor ride quality and a reduction in service life of
the pavement. Low temperature cracking has been predicted by regression
equations, mechanistic...
Thermal distress in asphalt concrete pavements is a widespread problem around
the world. Thermal cracking can be divided into two modes of distress: low
temperature cracking and thermal fatigue cracking. Low temperature cracking results
from extremely cold temperatures; thermal fatigue cracking results from daily
temperature cycles.
Low temperature cracking is...
Steel corrosion in reinforced concrete is a major concern to transportation agencies nationwide because of the expenses incurred for repair and ultimate shortening of bridge life. Cathodic protection (CP), as a remedy, has been applied to reinforced bridges in the US since 1974. However, application of this technique is largely...
Environmental factors and physical properties of latex modified concrete (LMC)
are hypothesized to contribute to early age cracking in bridge deck overlays. Cracking
permits the ingress of moisture and aggressive solutions into the substrate and may
contribute to other subsequent distresses. Understanding the material properties and
mechanisms involved is necessary...
The Horsetail Creek (HC) bridge is an example of an Oregon bridge that was classified as structurally deficient and was not designed to withstand earthquake (EQ) excitations. A fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) rehabilitation was performed on the HC bridge to increase flexural and shear capacities for traffic loads. However, a seismic...
Assessment of an existing bridge is needed when the structure exhibits signs of distress. Assessment practices require refinement in the calculation of loading and resistance while maintaining an acceptable level of risk, to minimize costs associated with repair, replacement and weight restrictions. Previous risk-based assessments evaluated the strength cases for...
Performance evaluation of conventionally reinforced concrete (CRC) bridge superstructure elements with diagonal cracks is of interest to the bridge engineering community. Standardized methods to predict service-level stress magnitudes in cracked bridge girders under combined bending and shear forces are not available. An analysis procedure was developed to determine the response...
Large numbers of 1950's vintage conventionally reinforced concrete (CRC) bridges remain in-service in the national bridge inventory. Many of these bridges are lightly reinforced for shear. Evaluation of these bridges to prevent unnecessary and costly repairs requires refined analytical techniques. This dissertation presents finite element (FE) modeling and comparisons of...