Title:
Old Concrete Bridges: Can They Carry Modern Traffic Loads?
Author(s):
Atorod Azizinamini, Yerrapalli Shekar, and Gale Barnhill
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
16
Issue:
2
Appears on pages(s):
64-69
Keywords:
bridges (structures); live loads; loads (forces); load tests (structural); prestressing; spans; strength; tests; Structural Research
DOI:
Date:
2/1/1994
Abstract:
Concrete slab bridges constitute a significant portion of the bridge inventory of many states. Many of these bridges, when rated using current analytical tools, exhibit insufficient capacity to carry modern traffic loads, resulting in their replacement, strengthening, or load posting. However, field testing results indicate that there is sufficient reserve strength in many bridges that are rated structurally deficient. As part of an investigation to asses more accurately the performance of concrete slab bridges, six bridges were subjected to truck load tests, while two spans of a five-span continuous bridge were subjected to several tests, including testing to collapse.