Gusset plates are an important component of bridges. They are thick sheets of steel that join steel members together using fasteners and also strengthen their joint. Transportation agencies regularly evaluate and rate their inventories of gusset plate connections using visual inspection, which is very costly. To address this issue, we...
The collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis, MN in 2007 prompted an investigation into the design and inspection of the steel truss bridges. Further investigation into the collapse revealed that a gusset plate experienced sway buckling, causing the bridge failure. This bridge failure motivated research into the analysis and...
Failure of a gusset plate that caused the I-35W Bridge collapse in Minneapolis, MN resulted in mandated rating of connections by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Rating connections requires material properties as an input. The material properties are generally reported on the available detailed drawings for bridges. However, some bridges...
The collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis, MN on August 1, 2007 brought into question the design and inspection of gusset plates in steel truss bridges. The experimental tests performed in this research study the sway-buckling strength and behavior of large-scale steel gusset plates in an isolated truss connection....