Experimental and Analytical Study of Integral-abutment Bridges

Download or read book Experimental and Analytical Study of Integral-abutment Bridges written by Brad Harold Sayers and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 518 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Integral-abutment bridges eliminate the expansion joints that are generally used to accommodate bridge length changes due to daily and annual temperature variations. Additional stresses and displacements due to the thermal loading are induced in these indeterminate structures that are not typically associated with bridge structures supported on pins and rollers. The goal of this research was to determine the effects of the thermal loading on two integral-abutment bridges. Extensive field monitoring was conducted on two, in-service, skewed, integral-abutment bridges located in central Iowa. The experimental program included long-term monitoring of longitudinal and transverse abutment displacements, relative displacements of the superstructure over the pier caps, strains in selected steel HP-shaped piles supporting the abutments, strains in several PC girders, bridge member temperatures, and end fixity of selected piles and girders in the abutments. The experimental temperature and displacement data was used to calibrate an ANSYS, finite-element model for each of the two monitored bridge structures. Experimental strains were verified and maximum strains due to the thermal loading were predicted for various members using the finite-element models.