Influence of atypical vehicle types on girder distribution factors of secondary road steel-concrete composite bridges

Junwon Seo, Jong Wan Hu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper investigated the influence of atypical agricultural vehicle parameters on girder distribution factors (GDFs) for two simply supported steel-concrete composite bridges located on secondary roads in the United States. As part of the parametric investigation, field measurements were performed on the bridges under the passage of full-scale agricultural vehicles along each bridge centerline. Strain data obtained from field tests were used to determine field GDFs. Both field data and GDFs were used to calibrate a finite element model of the bridge. Data from over in-use one hundred agricultural vehicles were collected, and then each vehicle was applied to the model to compute analytical GDFs. These vehicles were analytically and statistically investigated to determine the sensitivity of GDFs to vehicle parameters, including maximum vehicle axle load, gage width, and spacing distributions. Based upon field strain investigation for the two bridges, the responses of the central girders were greater than those of the exterior girders, resulting in greater field GDFs for central girders than those of the exterior girders. Results also indicated from the sensitivity study that each girder had different levels of correlation between GDFs and single vehicle parameters.

Original languageEnglish
Article number04014064
JournalJournal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume29
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Keywords

  • Bridge
  • Field tests
  • Finite element modeling
  • Girder distribution factors
  • Vehicle parameters

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Building and Construction
  • Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality

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