Journal of the Transportation Research Board

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH RECORD

NO.

1696

Fifth International
Bridge Engineering
Conference
Bridges, Other Structures, and
Hydraulics and Hydrology
Click on article title to reach abstract; abstracts link to full textclick on Full Text icon.

CONTENTSVOLUME 1
Foreword

Bridge Aesthetics: Guidelines for the New Millennium

Holger S. Svensson

Quantitative Approach to Bridge Aesthetics for the 21st Century

Eugene C. Figg, Jr.

Contextual and Urban Design Considerations in Design of Major Bridges

Miguel Rosales and Frederick Gottemoeller

Flintshire Bridge (Pont Sir Y Fflint), Wales: Design Aesthetics and Innovation
Edmund Hollinghurst

Bridge Aesthetics for Broadway Bridge Replacement: Daytona Beach, Florida

Brett H. Pielstick

Design of Semilightweight Bridge Girders: Development-Length Considerations

Robert J. Peterman, Julio A. Ramirez, and Jan Olek

Special-Design Precast Concrete Beams for Sidney Lanier Bridge Replacement Project
Edwin Callicutt III

Load Distribution and Shear Strength Evaluation of an Old Concrete T-Beam Bridge
Riadh Al-Mahaidi, Geoff Taplin, and Armando Giufre

Rehabilitation of Tappan Zee Bridge Using Precast Concrete Composite Deck Units
Richard N. White and Peter Smith

Fatigue Evaluation of Steel and Concrete Bridges

Maria M. Szerszen and Andrzej S. Nowak

Highway Network Bridge Fatigue Damage Potential of Special Truck Configurations

Jeffrey A. Laman and John R. Ashbaugh

Tests of Large Girders Treated To Enhance Fatigue Strength

Hiroyuki Takamori and John W. Fisher

In-Service Response of an Orthotropic Steel Deck Compared with Design Assumptions

Robert J. Connor and John W. Fisher

Design and Performance of Jointless Bridges in Ontario: New Technical and Material Concepts
Iqbal Husain and Dino Bagnariol

Large and Small Incrementally Launched Structures

Alistair Paul

Influence of Hydration Temperature on Durability and Mechanical Property Performance of

Prestressed and Precast High-Performance Concrete Beams
John J. Myers and Ramon L. Carrasquillo

Bridge Software Validation Guidelines and Examples

Mark Mlynarski, Jay A. Puckett, Chad M. Clancy, Brian L. Goodrich,
Mark C. Jablin, William Smyers, and Ken Wilson

Federal Highway Administrations Horizontally Curved Steel Bridge Research Project: An Update
Sheila Rimal Duwadi, Michael A. Grubb, Chai H. Yoo, and Joseph Hartmann

Bridge Girders with Corrugated Webs

Mohamed Elgaaly, Anand Seshadri, Roberto Rodriquez, and Sherif Ibrahim

Enhancing Steel Bridges Through AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration

Ronald D. Medlock and Arunprakash M. Shirol

Low-Volume Road Bridge Alternative

B. M. Phares, F. W. Klaiber, and T. J. Wipf

Bridge Safety Assurance Measures Taken in New York State

Jerome S. OConnor

Fitness-for-Purpose Evaluation of Bridges Using Health Monitoring Technology

Rob Heywood, Wayne Roberts, Ray Taylor, and Ryan Andersen

Areas of Uncertainty in Bridge Management: Framework for Research

Parag C. Das and Toula Onoufriou

Structural Identification of a Long-Span Truss Bridge

A. Emin Aktan, K. A. Grimmelsman, R. A. Barrish, F. N. Catbas, and C. J. Tsikos

The Once and Future Steel Bridge

John M. Kulicki

New Trends in Prestressed Concrete Bridges

Michel Virlogeux

Seohae Grand Bridge

Man-Chung Tang, Dennis J. Jang, and Kookjoon Ahn

Current State of the Quebec Bridge

Robert A. P. Sweeney and George Oommen

Design and Construction of a Cable-Trussed Girder Bridge

Hidetsugu Mochizuki, Katsuhiko Hanada, Tomokazu Nakagawa, Youji Hanawa,
Ichiro Yamagiwa, Katsunori Yasuda, Yozo Fujino, and Masatsugu Nagai

Steel Bridges with Double-Composite Action: Innovative Design

Steven L. Stroh and Rajan Sen

Wood in Transportation Program: An Overview

Sheila Rimal Duwadi, Michael A. Ritter, and Edward Cesa

Reliability-Based Criteria for Load and Resistance Factor Design Code for Wood Bridges
Chris Eamon, Andrzej S. Nowak, Michael A. Ritter, and Joe Murphy

Evaluation and Field Load Testing of Timber Railroad Bridge

Terry J. Wipf, Michael A. Ritter, and Douglas L. Wood

Two Test Level 4 Bridge Railing and Transition Systems for Transverse Timber Deck Bridges
Ronald K. Faller, Michael A. Ritter, Barry T. Rosson, Michael D. Fowler, and Sheila R. Duwadi

CONTENTSVOLUME 2
Foreword

Australias Bridge Design Load Model: Planning for an Efficient Road Transport Industry
Rob Heywood, Ross Gordon, and Geoff Boully

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of a Low-Volume Road Bridge Alternative

M. E. Fagen and B. M. Phares

Practical Applications of a Bridge Management System in Japan

Ayaho Miyamoto, Kei Kawamura, and Hideaki Nakamura

Optimal Network-Level Bridge Maintenance Planning Based on Minimum Expected Cost

Dan M. Frangopol, Emhaidy S. Gharaibeh, Jung S. Kong, and Masaru Miyake

Aesthetics of Cable-Stayed Bridges

Man-Chung Tang

Innovative Design and Construction of Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Bridge

W. Denney Pate

Sidney Lanier Bridge, Georgia

Man-Chung Tang, Dennis Jang, and Hohsing Lee

Forced and Ambient Vibration Tests and Vibration Monitoring of Hakucho Suspension Bridge
Yozo Fujino, Masato Abe, Hajime Shibuya, Masato Yanagihara, Masashi Sato,
Shun-Ichi Nakamura, and Yoshifumi Sakamoto

Guideline for Evaluation of Scour at Bridges: Proposed ASCE Standard

Stanley R. Davis, Conor Shea, and Jorge E. Pagan-Ortiz

Prediction of Scour at Bridge Pier Foundations Founded on Rock and Other Earth Materials
George W. Annandale

Maine Builds Longest-Span Precast Segmental Bridge with Unique Design-Build Selection Process
Alan R. Phipps

Influence of Elastomeric Bearings on Traffic-Induced Vibration of Highway Bridges

Mitsuo Kawatani, Yoshikazu Kobayashi, and Hideaki Kawaki

Bridge-Condition Assessment and Load Rating Using Nondestructive Evaluation Methods

Michael J. Chajes, Harry W. Shenton III, and Dennis OShea

Load Testing to Collapse Limit State of Barr Creek Bridge

Nicholas Haritos, Anil Hira, Priyan Mendis, Rob Heywood, and Armando Giufre

Diagnostic Load Tests of a Prestressed Concrete Bridge Damaged by Overheight Vehicle Impact
Francesco M. Russo, Terry J. Wipf, and F. Wayne Klaiber

Testing Bridges by Using Tiltmeter Measurements

Ahmet K. Sanli, Erdogan A. Uzgider, Ozden B. Caglayan, Kadir Ozakgul, and Jan Bien

Bridge 1-351 over Muddy Run: Design, Testing, and Erection of an All-Composite Bridge
J. W. Gillespie, Jr., D. A. Eckel II, W. M. Edberg, S. A. Sabol, D. R. Mertz, M. J. Chajes,
H. W. Shenton III, C. Hu, M. Chaudhri, A. Faqiri, and J. Soneji

Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Wrapping of Deteriorated Concrete Columns

J. Preston Halstead, Jerome S. OConnor, Khuong Luu, Sreenivas Alampalli, and Amy Minser

Durability of Composite Reinforcement for Timber Bridges

Eoin P. Battles, Habib J. Dagher, and Beckry Abdel-Magid

Control of Live Load on Bridges

Andrzej S. Nowak, Junsik Eom, and Ahmet Sanli

Live-Load Girder Distribution Factors for Bridges Subjected to Wide Trucks

Sami W. Tabsh and Muna Tabatabai

Permit Vehicle Routing Using Reliability-Based Evaluation Procedures

Joan R. Casas

Simplified Load Distribution for Vehicles with Nonstandard Axle Gauges

Brian L. Goodrich and Jay A. Puckett

Structural Design of High-Performance Concrete Bridge Beams

Xiaoming (Sharon) Huo and Maher K. Tadros

Implementation of High StrengthHigh Performance Concrete in Two Texas Highway Overpass

Structures: Critical Comparison
Shawn P. Gross and Ned H. Burns

Design of the Cross Florida Greenway Land Bridge Over I-75 Using Precast Florida U-Beams
Charles F. Duggar, Jr., and John A. Corven

In-Service Performance of High-Performance Concrete Bridge Decks

Sreenivas Alampalli and Frank Owens

Bridge Management for the 21st Century

James E. Roberts and Richard Shepard

Comprehensive Bridge Scour Evaluation Methodology

P. F. Lagasse, E. V. Richardson, and L. W. Zevenbergen

Highway Bridge Seismic Design: How Current Research May Affect Future Design Practice
Ian M. Friedland, Ronald L. Mayes, W. Phillip Yen, and John OFallon

Performance of Precast Segmental Structures with External Tendons Under Moderate

Seismic Conditions
Alan J. Moreton, Arthur L. Wolek, Garrett G. Hoffman, Juan J. Goi, and Jos M. Rodriguez

Seismic Hazard Study for New York City Area Bridges

Ayaz H. Malik

Risk-Based Design of Bridge Scour Countermeasures

David R. Pearson, J. Sterling Jones, and Stuart M. Stein

European Practice for Bridge Scour and Stream Instability Countermeasures

David W. Bryson, Daniel G. Ghere, and William H. Hulbert

Scour Countermeasures Using Geosynthetics and Partially Grouted Riprap

Michael H. Heibaum

Testing the Effectiveness of Scour Countermeasures by Physical Modeling

Norbert O. Eisenhauer and Bernd Rossbach

Steering Committee Biographical Information

Transportation Research Record 1696

ISSN 0361-1981
ISBN 0-309-07122-4
Subscriber Category
IIC bridges, other structures, and hydraulics and hydrology
Printed in the United States of America
Sponsorship of Transportation Research Record 1696
GROUP 2DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES
Harold (Skip) R. Paul, Louisiana Department of Transportation (Chairman)
Steering Committee for the Fifth International Bridge Engineering Conference
Andrzej S. Nowak, University of Michigan (Chairman), Juan R. Casas Ruis, Anthony S. Caserta, James D. Cooper, Parag C.
Das, Donald J. Flemming, Yozo Fujino, Lawrence J. Harrison, Robert J. Heywood, James J. Hill, F. Wayne Klaiber,
Emmanuel A. Maragakis, Eric Munley, William N. Nickas, Wojciech Radomski, Mary Lou Ralls, Michael A. Ritter,
James E. Roberts, Arunprakash M. Shirol, Robert A. P. Sweeney, Man-Chung Tang, Richard N. White
Liaison Representatives
David B. Beal, David J. Hensing, Louis N. Triandafilou

Transportation Research Board Staff

Daniel W. (Bill) Dearasaugh, Jr., Engineer of Design
Lizy Mani, Administrative Assistant
The organizational units, officers, and members are as of December 31, 1999.

FOREWORD
Transportation systems of the world represent a huge investment on the part of governments and taxpayers. There is widespread
concern over the state of the infrastructure, and despite indications of increased investment, it is clear that funds available are
not likely to meet all of the needs of this sector in the long run. More than ever, wise investment decisions concerning roads and
bridges will be crucial to the future of transportation.
This conference is the fifth in a series of International Bridge Engineering Conferences. Previous conferences were held in
St. Louis, Missouri, in 1978; Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1984; Denver, Colorado, in 1991; and San Francisco, California, in
1995. Those conferences were well attended, and valuable information was presented and published. Much has transpired since
the 1995 conference that should be brought to the attention of the user community.
OBJECTIVE

The objective of the conference is to provide an international forum for the exchange of bridge research results and technical
information on planning, design, construction, repair, rehabilitation, replacement, and maintenance of bridges. The focus is on
problems and solutions of interest to bridge engineers and administrators of highway, railroad, and transit agencies. Research
results emanating from the AASHTO-sponsored NCHRP bridge studies as well as federal, state, and international research
agencies programs are being highlighted.
FORMAT

The conference, conducted over a 212-day period, included daily plenary sessions at which well-known speakers presented
the state of the practice concerning the various conference themes. Plenary sessions were followed by concurrent paper
sessions. Many papers presented in the plenary sessions and all papers presented in the concurrent paper sessions are included
in Volumes 1 and 2 of this Record.
Conference sessions included

Bridge health monitoring,

Aesthetic considerations,
Innovative techniques,
Fatigue,
New materials and technology,
Long-span bridges,
Steel design,
Bridge loads and dynamics,
Fiber-reinforced plastic composites for bridges,
Bridge rehabilitation,
Seismic response of bridges,
Prestressed concrete bridges,
Bridge scour, and
Wood bridges.

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

This Record of the Fifth International Bridge Engineering Conference is being published in two volumes. They will be distributed to all conference attendees and are available for purchase through the Transportation Research Board. All papers contained
in the two volumes underwent full TRB peer review.

Bridge Aesthetics
Guidelines for the New Millennium
Holger S. Svensson
Leonhardt, Andr und Partner, Consulting Engineers, Lenzhalde 16, D - 70192 Stuttgart, Germany.

FULL
TEXT

The design of attractive bridges does not happen by chance, nor does it exclusively depend on some
elusive feel that is only given to a chosen few. Constant conscious examination of existing bridges to
find out why they are beautiful or ugly educates aesthetic awareness. Aesthetic guidelines can help to
find a good shape or to check the shaping of bridges. Important aesthetic criteria are clear structural
statements; good proportions; order; compatibility with the surroundings, including coloring; and,
above all, simplicity.

Quantitative Approach to
Bridge Aesthetics for the 21st Century
Eugene C. Figg, Jr.
Figg Engineering Group, 424 North Calhoun Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301.

FULL
TEXT

Many important qualities must be considered for the proper aesthetic design of bridges to develop
harmony with their environment. Methodologies for segmental bridge design that create bridges that
preserve the existing landscapes and complement, and even enhance, their settings are examined.
Bridges considered have received 123 design awards in the past 21 years, including 3 Presidential
Awards through the National Endowment for the Arts. Proper scale and proportions of various bridge
members to create balanced and slender appearances are quantified, including proper span-to-depth
and pier width-to-height ratios for graceful structures. The design methodology for aesthetics includes a
quantitative and qualitative sorting of natural site features to determine appropriate shapes for the
superstructure and substructure. Criteria for selecting and evaluating the visual effects of shape,
shadows, vistas, color, textures, and the use of native materials are addressed. Quantification of the cost
of aesthetic decisions and determination of aesthetic value are addressed for different elements of these
bridges. Case studies are used to quantify aesthetic features for such bridges as the Natchez Trace
Parkway Arches [first precast concrete arches with 177-m (582-ft) main arch span], Tennessee;
Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Florida; Linn Cove Viaduct, North Carolina; Hanging Lake Viaduct,
Colorado; and Wabasha Street Bridge, Minnesota.

Contextual and Urban Design

Considerations in Design of Major Bridges
Miguel Rosales and Frederick Gottemoeller
M. Rosales, Rosales  Gottemoeller & Associates, Inc., 305 Newbury Street, Suite 21, Boston, MA 02115.
F. Gottemoeller, Rosales  Gottemoeller & Associates, Inc., 9175 Guilford Road, Suite 214, Columbia, MD 21046.

FULL
TEXT

Bridges are prominent features of many landscapes. They are often justifiably called on to meet public
objectives beyond their transportation function. It becomes the responsibility of the designer to
determine what these requirements are and whether the proposed design is really addressing all of the
dimensions of the problem, including objectives that may not express themselves in the form of number
of lanes, minimum clearances, and other physical criteria. Public requests for structures that emulate
historical bridges or architecture are especially difficult to meet given modern transportation demands
on the structure and given modern materials and techniques. The process must include recognition of
the needs and effects of adjacent interchanges. The techniques used to incorporate contextual and
urban design concerns into the design of contemporary bridges so that the publics desire for landmark
bridges can be met without resorting to the use of imitations of historical precedents are described.
Three case studies are used to illustrate the ideas: the new Charles River Bridge in Boston,
Massachusetts, Floridas Clearwater Memorial Causeway Bridge, and the designs for two major
crossings of the Raccoon River in Des Moines, Iowa. The aesthetic urban design and community
considerations that guided the design for the bridges will be described by the projects architects and
urban designers.

Flintshire Bridge (Pont Sir Y Fflint), Wales

Design Aesthetics and Innovation
Edmund Hollinghurst
Gifford and Partners, Carlton House, Ringwood Road, Woodlands, Southampton, Hampshire SO40 7HT, United Kingdom.

FULL
TEXT

Acclaimed winning design of the competition to devise the new River Dee crossing, the landmark
Flintshire Bridge in Wales, United Kingdom, opened on March 6, 1998, by Her Majesty the Queen,
defines new levels of excellence in engineering design and technology. A long-span, cable-stayed
asymmetric concrete structure, it represents a radical resolution of major environmental, aesthetic, and
technological problems, resulting in significant advances in the techniques of modern bridge building.
A demonstration of the state of the art in civil engineering, it has won local and national praise.
The impact of the use of concrete in relation to aesthetics, engineering, and architecture is discussed, in
particular the use of a project as a pilot scheme for the development of a new specification for internally
grouted posttensioned concrete following the collapse of a bridge in Wales due to corrosion.
The innovation relating to the inherent instability of parallel strands (stay cables) in rain and light wind
is discussed, together with the resulting innovations to overcome associated problems.

Bridge Aesthetics for

Broadway Bridge Replacement
Daytona Beach, Florida
Brett H. Pielstick
Parsons Transportation GroupConstruction Services Company, 135 East International Speedway Boulevard, Suite 22,
Daytona Beach, FL 32118.

FULL
TEXT

As the gateway to the beaches of Daytona Beach, Florida, the new Broadway Bridge will be a signature
bridge for the community. Mosaic tile murals up to 3 m in height will be incorporated around the
columns of the new bridge, as will mosaic panels along the sidewalk handrail. The bridge will also
feature ornamental handrail and light fixtures with aesthetic lighting that will display this high-profile
structure to the surrounding skyline of Daytona Beach. Additional plantings and fountains will be
provided with a grand architectural entrance welcoming visitors to Daytona Beach and onto this
signature bridge. The glass tile mosaic art will feature manatees, dolphins, and other nature scenes with
species endemic to Florida. Special reviews and approval of the art scenes will be done by the architect
of record before fabrication of the large pieces. The Broadway Bridge replacement is being constructed
with twin, precast, segmental concrete bridges erected by balanced cantilever construction with an
overhead gantry system. The construction includes a cast-in-place, posttensioned flat-slab section on the
west end. Each bridge will have a 20-m vertical clearance over the 38-m-wide navigational channel.
The bridges will be approximately 918 m in length, with spans varying from 30 to 80 m. The span length
variation with structure height will add to the overall aesthetic features of this signature bridge. Graceful
lines developed by the segmental design and the additional architectural features provided by the mosaic
inlays, lighting, plantings, and fountain make the Broadway Bridge unique and a beautiful addition to
the Daytona Beach area.

Design of Semilightweight Bridge Girders

Development-Length Considerations
Robert J. Peterman, Julio A. Ramirez, and Jan Olek
R. J. Peterman, Department of Civil Engineering, Kansas State University, 119 Seaton Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506.
J. A. Ramirez and J. Olek, Department of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, 1184 Civil Engineering Building,
West Lafayette, IN 46907.

FULL
TEXT

In a recent study, 25 development-length tests were conducted on rectangular and T-shaped

semilightweight beams having design compressive strengths of 48 MPa (7,000 psi) and 69 MPa
(10,000 psi). In the rectangular beam tests, the design moment capacity was exceeded in every case.
However, in the tests on T-shaped beams, bond failure occurred in some specimens immediately after
the formation of a flexure-shear crack. Additional tests were then conducted on similar T-shaped beams
having varying amounts of transverse reinforcement near the point load. These tests showed that bond
failure could be prevented by increasing the transverse reinforcement near the point of maximum
moment. The study showed that the shift in the tension force that occurs when flexural cracks turn
diagonally may lead to bond failure if sufficient anchorage of the strand is not provided. Therefore, the
investigators recommend that the current AASHTO requirements for strand development be enforced
at a critical section located at a distance dp from the point of maximum moment toward the free end
of the strand, where dp is the distance from the extreme compression fiber to the centroid of the
prestressed reinforcement.

Special-Design Precast Concrete

Beams for Sidney Lanier Bridge
Replacement Project
Edwin Callicutt III
Figg Construction Services, Inc., 601 Lanier Boulevard, Brunswick, GA 31520.

FULL
TEXT

The Sidney Lanier Bridge Replacement Project is a $100 million undertaking in Brunswick, Georgia,
that will lead to the replacement of an existing 40-year-old steel lift-span structure. The approach
bridges that lead to the projects main-span unit consist of 16 spans of 54.9-m (180-ft), special-design,
precast concrete beams as well as 14 spans of 36.6-m (120-ft) Type V AASHTO girders. The specialdesign beams are 2.3 m (7.5 ft) deep, are erected as simply supported members and are then made
into two-span continuous units by longitudinal posttensioning, and are rigidly connected transversely
with cast-in-place diaphragms. The riding surface is a cast-in-place concrete deck constructed on
stay-in-place metal forms. The 54.9-m (180-ft) beams, supported by hollow tapered concrete piers
with hammerhead caps, are founded on 1.2-m (48-in.) drilled shafts. Wet-hole construction methods
with bentonite slurry were required for the drilled shafts. The bridge piers are over land and water,
and large cofferdams were required to facilitate construction. Additionally, the sizes of the cast-in-place
footings and hammerhead pier caps required mass concrete thermal considerations. The approach
bridges lead to the main-span portion of the project, which will be a 762-m (2,500-ft) concrete,
cable-stayed unit with a 381-m (1,250-ft) center span. The design, casting, and erection of these beams,
and construction of the substructure, posed many challenges to the Georgia Department of
Transportation designers and contractors. These beams are among the longest erected in Georgia.

Load Distribution and Shear Strength

Evaluation of an Old Concrete
T-Beam Bridge
Riadh Al-Mahaidi, Geoff Taplin, and Armando Giufre
R. Al-Mahaidi and G. Taplin, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, Australia 3168.
A. Giufre, VicRoads, 3 Prospect Hill Road, Camberwell, Melbourne, Australia 3124.

FULL
TEXT

There are about 330 T-beam bridges in the Australian state of Victoria that were built before 1950.
Australia-wide there are nearly 1,000 of these early T-beam bridges. The shear capacity of these
bridges, when assessed in accordance with current codes of practice, is in some cases not adequate for
the current design loading. In 1996, VicRoads, the Victorian state road authority, initiated a project to
enable a more accurate assessment of the shear capacity of these bridges to be made so that decisions on
load rating or replacement could be made. An analysis of an existing reinforced concrete T-beam bridge
that had been identified for a load test to failure was commissioned. The purpose of the analysis was to
predict the load distribution behavior and the ultimate strength and to advise on the testing and
monitoring program. After successful load testing of the bridge, a comprehensive analysis of the
observed behavior was carried out and compared with the theoretical models. The pre- and posttesting
analysis, which was undertaken with linear and nonlinear finite element analysis and with the modified
compression field theory, are described and the analysis results are compared with the real behavior of
the tested bridge. In particular, the load distribution in the elastic range and the ultimate shear strength
of the reinforced concrete T-beams are discussed. The consequences of these findings on the load rating
procedures are discussed, and a strategy for rating old reinforced concrete T-beam bridges is outlined.

Rehabilitation of Tappan Zee Bridge Using

Precast Concrete Composite Deck Units
Richard N. White and Peter Smith
R. N. White, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850.
P. Smith, The Fort Miller Company, Inc., P.O. Box 98, Schuylerville, NY 12871.

FULL
TEXT

The criteria used for successful rehabilitation of decks of major bridges when it is not feasible to close
the bridge to traffic are described. These criteria are described with specific reference to recent work on
the trestle spans of the Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River near New York City. The results of
an experimental program conducted with a full-scale, 10-m-span, lightweight concrete slab-steel beam
composite bridge deck unit intended for later use in rehabilitating the through-truss decks of the bridge
are also described. Loading history included 107 cycles of flexural fatigue loading followed by a flexural
load capacity test. Measured values of capacity and midspan deflection at this ultimate load level are
compared with simplified analytical predictions. A description of the actual rehabilitation process used
on the Tappan Zee Bridge deck is also provided.

Fatigue Evaluation of Steel and

Concrete Bridges
Maria M. Szerszen and Andrzej S. Nowak
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2370 G. G. Brown Building, University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2125.

FULL
TEXT

The fatigue limit state is one of the important considerations in the design of bridges. Accumulated
load cycles can cause cracking or even failure. An approach to evaluation of steel and concrete bridges
with regard to fatigue is presented. The method for prediction of the remaining life of a bridge
superstructure is based on the load model and the procedure to estimate fatigue degradation of
materials. In the case of steel girders, degradation of material is considered using S-N curves.
For reinforced concrete beams, degradation of concrete in the compressive zone is described by the
rheological fatigue model. Reliability analysis is performed for the fatigue limit state function of flexure.
Prediction of the remaining fatigue life for steel and concrete beams is illustrated on examples of
existing bridge girders.

Highway Network Bridge Fatigue Damage

Potential of Special Truck Configurations
Jeffrey A. Laman and John R. Ashbaugh
J. A. Laman, The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University Park,
PA 16802. J. R. Ashbaugh, Steven Schaefer Associates, Inc., Cincinnati, OH 45223.

FULL
TEXT

A study of the fatigue damage potential of special truck configurations was conducted to facilitate
informed decisions by state transportation agencies in considering various truck size and weight and
permit policies as well as to provide relative damage information that will be useful in ongoing network
damage evaluations. The primary objective was to evaluate 78 existing common and FHWA-proposed
truck configurations for relative fatigue damage potential. To accomplish this objective, an analytical
fatigue evaluation tool was developed to determine the relative fatigue damage induced in highway
network bridges by simulation of a highway fleet mix database crossing actual bridges modeled
analytically. Additional objectives were to evaluate the influence of impact values and endurance limits
used for a fatigue analysis. The semicontinuum analysis method, the Palmgren-Miner hypothesis, and
the rainflow cycle counting algorithm are incorporated. A 39-bridge database statistically selected as
representative of bridges in the United States allowed a network level fatigue analysis of several
hundred fatigue-prone details. Seventy-eight special truck configurations were studied, 25 of which
were developed by FHWA as part of the comprehensive truck size and weight study. The remaining
53 vehicles were taken from the Turner proposal, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Canada, military,
AASHTO, and other sources. It was found that fatigue damage potential is primarily a function of
axle weight, spacing, and vehicle length instead of gross vehicle weight.

Tests of Large Girders Treated

To Enhance Fatigue Strength
Hiroyuki Takamori and John W. Fisher
ATLSS Engineering Research Center, Lehigh University, 117 ATLSS Drive, Bethlehem, PA 18015.

FULL
TEXT

Two large-scale fatigue test studies of plate girders are reported on. One study involved a series of
coverplated bridge girders with small fatigue cracks that were retrofitted in 1976 as described in
NCHRP Report 206. The second study involved plate girders fabricated from HPS-485W (HPS-70W)
steel with welded attachments. The Category E coverplated beams that were removed from the
I-95 Yellow Mill Pond Bridge in 1997 had been retrofitted in 1976 by either air hammer peening or gas
tungsten arc (GTA) remelting. All details had small fatigue cracks at the time of retrofit. No further
fatigue cracking was observed at the coverplate ends after 20 years of service and an estimated
56 million truck passages. The beams were tested at a stress range of 69 MPa (10 ksi). Cracks developed
from the root of the transverse end weld and propagated through the weld throat. The fatigue
resistance of the treated weld toe details improved to Category C except for one GTA-remelted detail,
which exceeded Category D. Another study was carried out on large-scale HPS-485W plate girders with
as-welded and ultrasonic-impact treatment (UIT) details. UIT was applied to the weld toe of transverse
stiffeners welded to the web and flanges (Category C) and to coverplated ends (Category E). The
as-welded details cracked at their expected fatigue resistance. The UIT transverse stiffeners improved
to Category B fatigue resistance, whereas the UIT coverplated details improved to Category C fatigue
resistance.

In-Service Response of an Orthotropic

Steel Deck Compared with
Design Assumptions
Robert J. Connor and John W. Fisher
ATLSS Engineering Research Center, Lehigh University, 117 ATLSS Drive, Bethlehem, PA 18015.

FULL
TEXT

To minimize the possibility of fatigue cracking on the new orthotropic deck of the Williamsburg Bridge,
laboratory tests with a full-scale prototype panel were conducted. During the study, recommendations
for improving fatigue resistance of the welded rib-diaphragm connection detail were made before
construction. In addition, load testing and long-term remote monitoring of the orthotropic deck were
conducted. The field data suggest that actual truckloads are greater than the standard truckloads
assumed in the AASHTO Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Specifications. They also suggest
that modifications to the fatigue design of deck elements may be required because the maximum stress
range exceeds twice the stress range provided by the fatigue truck (i.e., twice the fatigue truck assumed
by the AASHTO LRFD Specifications).

Design and Performance of

Jointless Bridges in Ontario
New Technical and Material Concepts
Iqbal Husain and Dino Bagnariol
Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, 301 St. Paul Street, 2nd Floor, St. Catharines, Ontario L2R 7R4, Canada.

FULL
TEXT

It is well recognized that leaking expansion joints at the ends of bridge decks have led to the premature
deterioration of bridge components. The elimination of these maintenance-prone joints not only yields
immediate economic benefits but also improves the long-term durability of bridges. In Ontario, Canada,
jointless bridges have been used for many years. Recently, the use of two main types of these bridges
has increased dramatically. The first type is an integral abutment bridge that comprises an integral
deck and abutment system supported on flexible piles. The approach slabs are also continuous with the
deck slab. The flexible foundation allows the anticipated deck movements to take place at the end of the
approach slab. Control joint details have been developed to allow movements at this location.
The second type is a semi-integral abutment bridge that also allows expansion joints to be eliminated
from the end of the bridge deck. The approach slabs are continuous with the deck slab, and the
abutments are supported on rigid foundations (spread footings). The superstructure is not continuous
with the abutments, and conventional bearings are used to allow horizontal movements between the
deck and the abutments. A control joint is provided at the end of the approach slab that is detailed to
slide in between the wing walls. Some of the design methods and construction details that are used in
Ontario for integral and semi-integral abutment bridges are summarized. A review of the actual
performance of existing bridges is also presented.

Large and Small Incrementally

Launched Structures
Alistair Paul
Transport SA, P.O. Box 1, Walkerville SA 5081, Australia.

FULL
TEXT

The technology for incrementally launched structures has been known for several decades. It had not
been utilized in South Australia until a recent flurry of activity revealed that this method could be
economically utilized for both small and large structures. Within 3 years, four structures of various
sizes were constructed using the technique. A double-T prestressed concrete recreational jetty was
incrementally launched at one of Adelaides suburban beaches (Brighton Jetty). Twin single-cell
prestressed concrete (PSC) box girders were incrementally launched over eight lanes of traffic at a busy
signalized suburban road intersection without disruption to traffic (bridge over Port Wakefield Road).
Two incrementally launched major bridges were constructed over the River Murray, Australias
longest river. The first structure consisted of steel girders composite with a reinforced concrete deck
(Berri Bridge, 330 m long), and the other structure was a single PSC box girder (Blanchetown Bridge,
410 m long). All these structures are mentioned, but the focus is on the PSC box girder structures.
Construction problems associated with the use of permanent bearings as launch bearings and the
sensitivity of box girders to construction tolerances are discussed, and the lessons to be learned are
presented. Finally, an unsuccessful attempt to monitor the long-term prestress of the Blanchetown
Bridge using state-of-the-art optical fiber technology is discussed, including the reasons for its failure
and possible improved future methodology.

Influence of Hydration Temperature on

Durability and Mechanical Property
Performance of Prestressed and Precast
High-Performance Concrete Beams
John J. Myers and Ramon L. Carrasquillo
J. J. Myers, Center for Infrastructures Engineering Studies, The University of Missouri at Rolla, 218 Engineering Research
Laboratory, Rolla, MO 65409-0710. R. L. Carrasquillo, Construction Materials Research Group, The University of
Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Road, Building 18B, Austin, TX 78758.

FULL
TEXT

Concrete technology has continued to advance throughout the years to meet the demands of designers
and innovative structural systems. With the advent of high-performance concrete (HPC), which
contains large amounts of cementitious materials, the investigation of the impact of concrete
temperature development during hydration on concrete performance is of keen interest. Match-curing
technology was used to investigate the influence of concrete temperature development during
hydration on the mechanical and material property performance of prestressed and precast HPC
beams. These members were fabricated for use in two recently constructed HPC bridges in Texas.
The investigation was conducted in conjunction with the design, instrumentation, and construction of
the Louetta Road Overpass in Houston, Texas, and the North Concho River US-87 and South Orient
Railroad Overpass in San Angelo, Texas. FHWA and the Texas Department of Transportation
cosponsored these projects as part of the Strategic Highway Research Program to stimulate the use of
HPC and to demonstrate the suitability of HPC in highway structures. The results of the study
indicated that for HPCs that contain large amounts of cementitious materials, the concrete temperature
during hydration can have a dramatic impact on both the mechanical and the material (durability)
performance of the concrete. Temperature recommendations are provided to avoid less than optimal
concrete performance on the basis of the member shapes and mix designs investigated in the study.

Bridge Software Validation

Guidelines and Examples
Mark Mlynarski, Jay A. Puckett, Chad M. Clancy, Brian L. Goodrich,
Mark C. Jablin, William Smyers, and Ken Wilson
M. Mlynarski, W. Smyers, and K. Wilson, Michael Baker, Jr., Inc., Airport Office Park, Building 3, 420 Rouser Road,
Coraopolis, PA 15108. J. A. Puckett, Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, P.O. Box 3295, Laramie,
WY 82071-3295. C. M. Clancy, Modjeski and Masters, Inc., P.O. Box 2345, Harrisburg, PA 17105. B. L. Goodrich and
M. C. Jablin, BridgeTech, Inc., 3025 Second Street, Suite 201, Laramie, WY 82072.

FULL
TEXT

NCHRP 12-50 is a research project to investigate current software validation procedures and to provide
an improved method of verifying bridge design and analysis software. The removal of errors in bridge
design and analysis software has a far-reaching impact on safety assurance in the design and rating of
bridges. Bridge engineers are relying on automated computations at an increasing rate. Automation of
bridge computations is now an integral part of routine practice. In theory, this software should be error
freeyet perfect software remains elusive. The number of bridge types and geometric configurations,
materials, and loadings creates a large solution domain that must be addressed. The validation method
currently being developed involves the automated generation of a series of test suites. Each test suite
will contain input files for several analysis engines (software packages) and the results of the analyses
and designs performed by these engines. The automatic generation of input files for a particular
software package enables thousands of different cases to be created in a matter of minutes. Similarly,
the output from the engines can be compared automatically using database or spreadsheet software.
Each problem generated will have slightly varying input parameters. The goal is to increment the
various input parameters to test as many articles of the LRFD Specifications as possible. This novel,
systematic, and automated approach provides guidelines that can be applied to a host of computational
processes associated with bridge engineering, specification development, and software maintenance.
Some examples are presented to illustrate the process.

Federal Highway Administrations

Horizontally Curved Steel Bridge
Research Project
An Update
Sheila Rimal Duwadi, Michael A. Grubb, Chai H. Yoo, and Joseph Hartmann
S. R. Duwadi, Federal Highway Administration, 6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101. M. A. Grubb, BSDI, Ltd.,
508 Main St., Suite 203, Zelienople, PA 16063. C. H. Yoo, Department of Civil Engineering, Auburn University,
238 Harbert Engineering Ctr., Auburn, AL 36849. J. Hartmann, Professional Service Industries, Inc., 6300 Georgetown Pike,
McLean, VA 22101.

FULL
TEXT

Since 1992, FHWA has had a major concentrated research project in the area of horizontally curved
steel bridges, the objective of which is to conduct research to better define the fundamental behavior of
such bridges. The project involves theoretical work leading to the development of refined predictor
equations and verification of those equations through linear and nonlinear analysis and experimental
testing of I-girder components. The overall experimental program involves testing of a series of
full-scale bending and shear curved steel I-girder components and subsequently a full-size bridge.
The development and refinement of predictor equations are summarized, and the work leading to the
first series of experimental tests, which involve testing of full-scale bending components, is described.

Bridge Girders with Corrugated Webs

Mohamed Elgaaly, Anand Seshadri, Roberto Rodriquez, and Sherif Ibrahim
Civil and Architectural Engineering Department, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2875.

FULL
TEXT

In plate girders, the use of corrugated webs permits the use of thin web plates without stiffeners, which
reduces the cost of beam fabrication and improves fatigue life. Experimental and analytical studies on
the behavior of girders with corrugated webs were conducted that have led to design recommendations.
For girders with corrugated webs subjected to shear, it was noted from the experimental as well as the
analytical results that failure of the web occurs because of local or global shear buckling, which depends
on the corrugation configuration. For girders with corrugated webs subjected to uniform bending, the
failure was due to yielding and vertical buckling of the compression flange into the web. The test and
analytical results indicate that the web offered negligible contribution to the moment-carrying capacity
of the beam, and the ultimate moment capacity may be calculated on the basis of the flange yielding,
ignoring any contribution from the web. The behavior of girders with corrugated webs under in-plane
compressive edge loads applied directly on the top flange was investigated, and design recommendations
are made. Tests to examine the behavior of girders with corrugated webs under repeated loads are few.
The results from the available tests are reported and compared with the results from tests on
conventionally stiffened girders with flat webs.

Enhancing Steel Bridges Through

AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration
Ronald D. Medlock and Arunprakash M. Shirol
R. D. Medlock, Texas Department of Transportation, CST/M, 125 East 11th Street, Austin, TX 78701-2483.
A. M. Shirol, National Steel Bridge Alliance, 1405 North Lilac Drive, Suite 212, Golden Valley, MN 55422-4528.

FULL
TEXT

AASHTO and the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) have a joint effort under way to enhance the
quality and value of steel bridge design and construction in the United States. Under this effort, known
as the AASHTO/NSBA Collaboration, representatives of the state departments of transportation,
FHWA, steel and construction industries, design professionals, and academia have been working
together. Issues such as how the Collaboration operates and how, as a comprehensive resource for steel
bridges, it works to enhance the state of the art for steel bridges through implementation of technology
and exchange of resources among its participants are discussed. Furthermore, standard practices,
specifications, guidelines, and details that were developed as a consensus by the Collaboration for steel
bridge design, fabrication, and erection are presented.

Low-Volume Road Bridge Alternative

B. M. Phares, F. W. Klaiber, and T. J. Wipf
B. M. Phares, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc., FHWA NDE Validation Center, HNR-20, 6300 Georgetown Pike,
McLean, VA 22101-2296. F. W. Klaiber and T. J. Wipf, Iowa State University, Bridge Engineering Center,
Town Engineering Building, Ames, IA 50010.

FULL
TEXT

Recent reports indicate that a significant number of the nations bridges are either structurally deficient
or functionally obsolete. A large number of these bridges are on the secondary road system and fall
under the jurisdiction of county engineers with limited budgets and engineering staff. In response to this
problem, a bridge replacement system was developed for simple span bridges with minimal to no skew
that county engineers can design and build with limited resources. The bridge system involves
fabrication of precast units consisting of two steel beams connected with a thin reinforced concrete
deck. The precast deck thickness is limited to reduce the weight of the units so that they can be
fabricated at one site and then easily transported to the bridge site. Multiple units are then connected on
site to give the desired width of bridge, after which a reinforced cast-in-place concrete deck is placed
over the entire bridge. Development of the design methodology for the steel beam precast unit bridge
consisted of four phases. During the initial phase, small-scale bridge components and a full-scale model
bridge were constructed and tested in the Iowa State University Structural Engineering Laboratory.
These specimens were tested under a variety of loading configurations under service and ultimate loads.
After completion of the laboratory testing, finite-element models of the laboratory bridge were
developed and validated with data collected during the first phase. The validated finite-element model
was then used to extrapolate analyses of common bridge configurations. The results of the analytical
investigation were then combined with classic bridge engineering principles into a design methodology
that is easy to use and understand. Although it is not discussed in detail, a demonstration project in
which this concept was used has recently been completed and tested.

Bridge Safety Assurance Measures

Taken in New York State
Jerome S. OConnor
New York State Department of Transportation, 107 Broadway, Hornell, NY 14843.

FULL
TEXT

A description of New York States Bridge Safety Assurance (BSA) Program is given, and specific
examples of interim countermeasures that can be taken to lessen the risk of failure due to hydraulic
scour, overload, steel details, collision, concrete details, and earthquakes are provided. The BSA
program was adopted to provide a systematic means of identifying situations that pose a threat to the
structural integrity of bridges. A traditional bridge inspection program ascertains the condition of
various bridge elements. This information is typically used to drive an agencys capital and
maintenance bridge programs. New Yorks BSA program supplements this condition-based evaluation
by taking a slightly different perspective. It assesses and rates the degree of risk that is associated with
certain design details and circumstances. The program is used to evaluate a bridge by using current
design practice as a reference, whereas the inspection procedures are used to rate each element of a
bridge only according to its condition and ability to function as intended in the original design. Rating
all bridges according to their ability to remain safe under current conditions by using todays design
philosophy provides an ability to evaluate structures by using a common reference regardless of when
they were built. Specific examples of retrofit work that has been undertaken as a result of the adoption
of New Yorks BSA policy in 1992 are given.

Fitness-for-Purpose Evaluation of Bridges

Using Health Monitoring Technology
Rob Heywood, Wayne Roberts, Ray Taylor, and Ryan Andersen
R. Heywood, W. Roberts, and R. Andersen, Infratech Systems & Services P/L, P.O. Box 3699, South Brisbane, Qld 4101,
Australia. R. Taylor, Infratech Systems & Services P/L, P.O. Box 6106, Baulkham Hills, NSW 2153, Australia.

FULL
TEXT

Evaluation of in-field performance of bridges is dependent on many assumptions. Those associated with
the analytical model (boundary conditions, influence of curbs, membrane action, the model, etc.) and the
resistance model (material properties, condition, fatigue damage, etc.) are commonly recognized as the
sources for the differences between theoretical strength and in-service strength as demonstrated by proof
load testing worldwide. Likewise there are many assumptions associated with the loading model and the
related load factors. Bridge health monitoring technology is providing the opportunity to monitor the
in-service performance of bridges. A methodology is presented for undertaking a fitness-for-purpose
evaluation (FPE) of bridges based on health monitoring and theoretical data. The methodology is set
in the context of limit state codes and illustrated by four case studies, two from Australia and two
from New Zealand. Each of the bridges is steel, lowly rated theoretically, and located on relatively
low-trafficked routes. The outcome of the FPEs indicates that the structures are safe to remain in service
under current loading conditions although interventions are suggested in the relatively short term.
Health monitoring was also able to identify the reasons for the significant differences between the
theoretical and the health monitoring results. Many of the reasons are related to the specific loading
conditions at the site and could not readily have been identified using theoretical approaches, behavioral
testing, or proof load testing. Although this technology has its limitations, it is providing better
information for those involved in the decision-making process and helping to target actions based on risk.

Areas of Uncertainty in
Bridge Management
Framework for Research
Parag C. Das and Toula Onoufriou
P. C. Das, Highways Agency, Room 3/27, St. Christopher House, London, United Kingdom SE1 0TE.
T. Onoufriou, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom GU2 5XH.

FULL
TEXT

Bridge maintenance activities, from inspection and assessment to fund allocation and execution of the
work, involve many uncertainties. If the predictably increasing future requirements for bridge
maintenance are to be met in a cost-effective manner, these uncertainties must be identified and reduced
as much as possible. Past research in bridge engineering has mostly concentrated on the engineering
aspects of the activities. Many countries are now conducting considerable research and development
efforts to produce better materials, innovative forms of construction, improved inspection and
monitoring techniques, and better evaluation procedures and criteria. Now is the time to examine the
uncertainties found in bridge management. To address these deficiencies, it is necessary to determine
the focus of future research. Clearly, the level of resources that is used in different areas of research
should reflect the accuracy that is warranted by the end use. On the basis of experiences gained from
bridge management as well as from similar activities in the field of offshore structures, the areas of
uncertainty, such as method sophistication, operator expertise, and human and sampling errors, are
identified. In addition, a possible methodology is outlined that could provide bridge authorities,
researchers, and industry with an overview of the currently perceived problems and their relative
importance so that resources could be used in a cost-effective manner. The process of breaking down
management into component activities by the use of flow diagrams and the representation of individual
uncertainties through probabilistic distribution are also presented.

Structural Identification of a
Long-Span Truss Bridge
A. Emin Aktan, K. A. Grimmelsman, R. A. Barrish, F. N. Catbas, and C. J. Tsikos
Drexel Intelligent Infrastructure and Transportation Safety Institute, 3201 Arch Street, Suite 240, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

FULL
TEXT

An ongoing research project involving structural identification of the Commodore Barry Bridge,
a major long-span truss bridge over the Delaware River, is described. Structural identification is an
approach in which a constructed facility and its loading environment are objectively characterized by
field observations, measurements, and controlled experiments in conjunction with an analytical model.
This process is a necessary precursor to performing health monitoring of the bridge. Long-span bridges
have attributes that make utilization of experimental and analytical techniques on them quite different
than for short-span bridges. The concept of structural identification and the methods used in applying
it to a long-span bridge are presented and discussed. The structural characteristics of the bridge are
described and conceptualized. Development of the three-dimensional analytical model and the model
characteristics are summarized. Static and dynamic analyses are conducted to help locate anomalies
and errors in the model. The experimental techniques necessary for structural identification of a
long-span bridge are defined. A limited-scale health-monitoring system, which integrates operational
data with structural performance and loading environment data, was designed and installed on
the bridge. Mechanical and electrical characteristics of the monitor system and issues related to
management of the data from this system are discussed. The monitoring system currently has over
80 channels of different sensor types collecting various data from the bridge. In addition, data from the
system can be viewed from a remote location in real time.

The Once and Future Steel Bridge

John M. Kulicki
Modjeski and Masters, Inc., P.O. Box 2345, Harrisburg, PA 17105.

FULL
TEXT

Some of the highlights of steel bridge design and construction during the 20th century are presented,
and some thoughts for the near-term future of steel bridges are developed on the basis of the emergence
of new materials and design processes. The future-oriented portions of the paper are intended to
summarize research during the last decade of the 20th century dealing with the implementation of
improved steels. As will be seen, the world community appears to be developing several of the same
general concepts for future applications. Some of the ideas presented are speculative at this time, but it
will be shown that commercialization is already under way. Finally, some thoughts on needed future
developments in specification and design focus are considered.

New Trends in
Prestressed Concrete Bridges
Michel Virlogeux
24 Rue de la Division Leclerc, 78-830 Bonnelles, France.

FULL
TEXT

An overview of the recent evolution in the design and construction of prestressed concrete bridges
worldwide is provided. Several major trends are evidenced. Certainly those trends that have had
greater influences on the industry because of their wide applications are the development of external
prestressing, which is now systematically used in some countries for medium-span bridges; the
emergence of high-performance concrete, which extends the possibilities at the same time as it improves
the durability of concrete structures; and the more frequent association of steel and concrete for
composite bridges of different types and composite elements in bridges, allowing the construction of
many innovative structures. For more specific applications, cable-stayed bridges, for which interesting
developments have been seen in the last 10 years, and the more extensive use of heavy prefabrication in
large projects, with elements up to several thousands of metric tons, are also described. Bridge
architecture is also discussed in terms of the fact that good structural designs can produce elegant
prestressed concrete bridges.

Seohae Grand Bridge

Man-Chung Tang, Dennis J. Jang, and Kookjoon Ahn
T. Y. Lin International, 825 Battery Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111.

FULL
TEXT

The Seohae Grand Bridge, located about 65 km south of Seoul, Korea, is currently under construction
and, when complete, will be the longest bridge in Korea. The total length of the bridge is 9.4 km from
Pyongtaek on the north to Dangjin on the south, carrying three lanes of traffic in each direction across
the Asan Bay. The center span provides a 62-m-high navigation clearance above the high sea level of
+4.65 m. The main bridge is composed of three cable-stayed spans of 200, 470, and 200 m and two
60-m-long side spans, one at each end. The center span will form the entrance to the harbor and will be
built in the future. The bridge deck is supported by two longitudinal steel edge girders that are spaced
34 m apart and by transverse steel floor beams at 4.10 m on centers. The majority of the bridge deck is
composed of precast panels and cast-in-place joints. The bridge superstructure is restrained in the
transverse direction at the two pylons and end piers. The bridge longitudinal displacement due to live
load, temperature variation, and creep-shrinkage is restrained at one pylon with longitudinal shear
keys. Lockup devices are installed on the other pylon and are mobilized only for longitudinal
earthquake loading.

Current State of the Quebec Bridge

Robert A. P. Sweeney and George Oommen
Canadian National Railway, 935 de La Gauchetire Street West, Montreal, PQ, Canada H3B 2M9.

FULL
TEXT

The Quebec Bridge has the longest cantilever span in the world and is a monument to early railway
bridge engineering. It opened 83 years ago to railway traffic. It has carried roadway traffic since 1928.
A brief history of the bridge is presented. Its modifications and politics, the present condition of the
bridge, details of the railways recent assessment strategy, and the current $60 million rehabilitation
scheme are also examined.

Design and Construction of a

Cable-Trussed Girder Bridge
Hidetsugu Mochizuki, Katsuhiko Hanada, Tomokazu Nakagawa, Youji Hanawa,
Ichiro Yamagiwa, Katsunori Yasuda, Yozo Fujino, and Masatsugu Nagai
H. Mochizuki and K. Hanada, Structural Division, Shikoku Branch of Japan Highway Public Corporation, 4-1-3, Asahi-cho,
Takamatsu, 760-0065, Japan. T. Nakagawa, Y. Hanawa, and I. Yamagiwa, Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory,
Kobe Steel, Ltd., 1-5-5, Takatsukadai, Nishi-Ku, Kobe 651-2271, Japan. K. Yasuda, Urban Infrastructure Engineering
Company, Kobe Steel, Ltd., 4-2-15, Iwayanakamachi, Nada-ku, Kobe, 657-0845, Japan. Y. Fujino, Department of Civil
Engineering, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan. M. Nagai, Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1, Kamitomioka-cho, Nagaoka, 940-2188, Japan.

FULL
TEXT

Takehana No. 3 Bridge is a cable-trussed girder bridge constructed on a highway route in Shikoku
Island, Japan. This is the first application of a cable-trussed girder bridge to a highway bridge in Japan.
The cable-trussed bridge (or reversed cable-stayed girder bridge) consists of relatively slender steel
plate I-girders, a spatial frame-type post arranged beneath the girders at the middle of the span, and
external cables anchored at the ends of the girders. The structural details, static and dynamic
characteristics, and design and construction of the bridge are presented. In addition, the efficiency of
this type of bridge is emphasized.

Steel Bridges with Double-Composite Action

Innovative Design
Steven L. Stroh and Rajan Sen
S. L. Stroh, URS Greiner Woodward Clyde, 7650 W. Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa, FL 33569. R. Sen, University of
South Florida, College of Engineering, 4202 Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620-5350.

FULL
TEXT

Bridge engineers are continually faced with the challenge of providing efficient and cost-effective
structures. In particular, the Florida Department of Transportation has recognized the need to develop
economical bridge configurations in the medium-span range of 200- to 400-ft (60.96- to 121.92-m) spans
and authorized a research project at the University of South Florida to identify and develop innovative
design concepts within this span range. The study identified the concept of a steel bridge with
double-composite action as an innovative bridge concept with the potential for significant cost savings
compared with conventional modes of construction. This bridge type has been used with good success in
Europe, but to the authors knowledge it has not been used in the United States. In addition to a
composite concrete top slab, the double-composite bridge concept utilizes a composite concrete bottom
slab in the negative moment regions. The result is provision of a design meeting compact requirements
throughout, increased stiffness with corresponding decrease in fatigue stress range and deflections,
savings in cross frames, and savings in flange material. The design implications of this system are
examined, including redistribution effects due to creep and shrinkage, implications of different
construction sequences, and strength and serviceability issues. Trial designs are presented, including
both plate and box girder type structures, and design considerations are discussed. A prototype
structure is identified for further development of the double-composite concept.

Wood in Transportation Program

An Overview
Sheila Rimal Duwadi, Michael A. Ritter, and Edward Cesa
S. R. Duwadi, Federal Highway Administration, 6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101. M. A. Ritter, USDA Forest
Service, Forest Products Laboratory, One Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53705. E. Cesa, USDA Forest Service,
National Wood in Transportation Information Center, 180 Canfield Street, Morgantown, WV 26505.

FULL
TEXT

Research and demonstration bridge projects to further develop wood for transportation structures
increased substantially in the United States in 1988 under a legislative action by the U.S. Congress
known as the Timber Bridge Initiative. This program, renamed the Wood in Transportation Program,
continues today and is administered by the Forest Service. FHWA became involved in timber bridge
research in 1990. The FHWA program increased substantially under the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). From 1992 to 1997, ISTEA authorized significant
funding for timber bridge research, technology transfer, and demonstration bridges. The current
transportation authorization, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st century, does not contain a
program for timber bridges similar to that of ISTEA; however, there are provisions under the fiscal
year 1999 Transportation Appropriations Bill for advancing engineered wood and composites
technology through research and demonstration projects to further develop the use of wood for
transportation structures. As a result of these combined efforts, a large number of research projects
have been initiated, and a number of demonstration bridges have been built under both programs.
An overview of the research and the demonstration timber bridge programs is provided here.

Reliability-Based Criteria for

Load and Resistance Factor Design
Code for Wood Bridges
Chris Eamon, Andrzej S. Nowak, Michael A. Ritter, and Joe Murphy
C. Eamon and A. S. Nowak, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2370 G. G. Brown Building, University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2125. M. A. Ritter and J. Murphy, USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory,
One Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53705.

FULL
TEXT

Recently AASHTO adopted a load and resistance factor design code for highway bridges. The new code
provides a rational basis for the design of steel and concrete structures. However, the calibration was
not done for wood bridges. Therefore, there is a need to fill this gap. The development of statistical
models for wood bridge structures is discussed. Recent test results provided a considerable amount of
new data for sawed wood and glulam components. Statistical methods provide a good tool for
development of rational models for loads and resistance. Because of the random nature of load and
resistance, reliability is a convenient measure of structural performance that also provides a rational
basis for comparison of wood and other structural materials. The results of a recent project that led to
development of rational design criteria for wood bridges are presented. The structural reliability of
selected wooden bridges designed by the AASHTO codes are determined, and inadequacies in load
distribution and material resistance in the current specifications are identified.

Evaluation and Field Load Testing of

Timber Railroad Bridge
Terry J. Wipf, Michael A. Ritter, and Douglas L. Wood
T. J. Wipf, Department of Civil Engineering, Iowa State University, 420 Town Engineering Bldg., Ames, IA 50011.
M. A. Ritter, USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, One Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53705-2398.
D. L. Wood, Engineering Laboratories, Iowa State University, 176 Town Engineering Bldg., Ames, IA 50011.

FULL
TEXT

Several spans of a 60-year-old open-deck timber railroad bridge on the Southern Pacific Railroad Line
(now the Union Pacific) in Southwest Texas were field tested. The tests were conducted with the
sponsorship and cooperation of the Association of American Railroads to determine the vertical live
load distribution characteristics of the superstructure. The bridge was originally constructed with
Douglas-fir larch solid sawn stringers but was rehabilitated on several occasions to allow comparisons to
be made with respect to different rehabilitation options, including the use of a helper stringer and the
use of glued laminated timber (glulam) stringers. The test spans measured approximately 4.1 m (13.5 ft)
center-to-center of supports and included two closely packed chords, each consisting of four timber
stringers (one test span included an additional helper stringer added to one chord). One chord was
made up of glulam timber and the other was made up of solid sawn timber. The bridge superstructure
was generally in satisfactory condition, with some stringer horizontal splitting noted over the bents. The
bents were in reasonably good condition, but chord bearing was uneven on bent caps. Static and
dynamic deflection load test data were obtained using a special test train. The test results indicate that
the glulam chord performed better than the older sawn stringer chord, even when a helper stringer was
added. Individual stringers within a chord did not always share the load equally.

Two Test Level 4 Bridge Railing and

Transition Systems for Transverse
Timber Deck Bridges
Ronald K. Faller, Michael A. Ritter, Barry T. Rosson, Michael D. Fowler, and
Sheila R. Duwadi
R. K. Faller, Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1901 Y Street, Building C, Lincoln,
NE 68588-0601. M. A. Ritter, USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, One Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison,
WI 53705. B. T. Rosson, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, W348 Nebraska Hall, Lincoln,
NE 68588-0531. M. D. Fowler, MK Centennial, 15000 West 64th Avenue, P.O. Drawer 1307, Arvada, CO 80001.
S. R. Duwadi, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, Federal Highway Administration, 6300 Georgetown Pike,
McLean, VA 22101-2296.

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The Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, in cooperation with the Forest Products Laboratory, which
is part of the U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service, and FHWA, designed two bridge
railing and approach guardrail transition systems for use on bridges with transverse glue-laminated
timber decks. The bridge railing and transition systems were developed and crash tested for use on
higher-service-level roadways and evaluated according to the Test Level 4 safety performance criteria
presented in NCHRP Report 350: Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of
Highway Features. The first railing system was constructed with glulam timber components, whereas
the second railing system was configured with steel hardware. Eight full-scale crash tests were
performed, and the bridge railing and transition systems were acceptable according to current safety
standards.

Australias Bridge Design Load Model

Planning for an Efficient Road Transport Industry
Rob Heywood, Ross Gordon, and Geoff Boully
R. Heywood, Infratech Systems & Services P/L, 24 Bank Street, West End, Queensland 4101, Australia. R. Gordon,
VicRoads, 60 Denmark Street, Kew, Victoria 3101, Australia. G. Boully, VicRoads, 3 Prospect Hill Road, Camberwell,
Victoria 3124, Australia.

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A new Australian bridge design traffic loading standard for design and construction of Australian
bridges was developed. The loading model is expected to set the bridge design standard for the next
25 years. This is an important visionary task, an investment for future improvements in transport
efficiency, and an investment for our grandchildren, which was motivated by the increased transport
efficiency that this generation has been able to achieve because of the investment of our grandparents.
The challenge is to appropriately and effectively provide for the future in a manner that is consistent
with the potential benefits and costs. The complexities of a range of traffic and vehicle loading scenarios,
vehicle loading practices and enforcement, an infinite variety of bridge spans and forms of construction,
and future unknown vehicle and bridge technologies are combined to develop, in collaboration with
AUSTROADS and other interested bodies, a recommended bridge design load. The load model
represents a substantial increase from the current design load to be one of the heaviest in the world. The
load models features include a moving load model (M1600) that forms the basis for the application of
dynamic load allowances, centrifugal and braking forces, and a stationary load model (S1600). The load
model is designed to represent the traffic of the future and hence ensure the future productivity of
Australias road transport industry. It is a bridge engineering contribution to Australias international
competitiveness.

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of a Low-Volume

Road Bridge Alternative
M. E. Fagen and B. M. Phares
M. E. Fagen, Iowa State University, 174 Town Engineering Building, Ames, IA 50010. B. M. Phares, Wiss, Janney,
Elstner Associates, Inc., NDE Validation Center, HNR-20, 6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101-2296.

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Life-cycle cost models offer engineers a means to evaluate the anticipated long-term economic
performance of prospective design and construction alternatives. Traditionally, only initial investment
costs and past experience were used to economically evaluate possible bridge designs. A more logical
approach requires that all short- and long-term costs be considered in relation to project location,
purpose, and performance specifications. The primary objective of life-cycle cost analysis is to evaluate
the total ownership cost of all suitable alternatives. Recent reports indicate that a significant number
of the nations bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. In Iowa, a large
portion of these types of bridges are on the secondary road system and fall under the jurisdiction of
county engineers. Typically, Iowa county engineers have limited resources. In response to this, a
bridge-replacement system was developed that county engineers can design and build with limited staff.
The system, which is made up of precast (PC) double T units, involves the fabrication of PC units that
consist of two steel beams connected by a thin concrete deck. To illustrate that this bridge system
may be an economically viable bridge-replacement alternative for use on low-volume county roads,
a life-cycle cost analysis was completed for an actual replacement-repair-rehabilitation project. Various
alternatives were economically analyzed and compared with the steel beam PC unit bridge alternative.
This analysis indicates that, when lower-cost salvaged steel beams and county work forces are used,
the steel beam PC unit bridge can be a viable low-volume road bridge alternative.

Practical Applications of a
Bridge Management System in Japan
Ayaho Miyamoto, Kei Kawamura, and Hideaki Nakamura
A. Miyamoto and H. Nakamura, Department of Computer and Systems Engineering, Yamaguchi University, Ube 755-8611,
Japan. K. Kawamura, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamaguchi University, Ube 755-8611, Japan.

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Recently, the necessity of developing a practical bridge management system (BMS) has been pointed
out in Japan, because the maintenance of existing bridges has become a major social concern. The aim
of this study was to develop a practical BMS for deteriorated concrete bridges. The proposed system
(J-BMS) uses multilayered neural networks to predict deterioration processes in existing bridges,
to construct an optimal maintenance plan for repair or strengthening measures based on minimizing
life-cycle cost, and to estimate the maintenance cost. A comparison of the results of applying this system
to some actual in-service bridges with the results of questionnaire surveys of experts indicates that
optimal maintenance planning as well as bridge rating can be predicted accurately by this system.

Optimal Network-Level Bridge Maintenance

Planning Based on Minimum Expected Cost
Dan M. Frangopol, Emhaidy S. Gharaibeh, Jung S. Kong, and Masaru Miyake
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado, Campus Box 428, Boulder,
CO 80309-0428. Current affiliation, M. Miyake: Planning Division, Expressway Research Institute, Japan Highway Public
Corporation, 1-4-1Tadao Machida, Tokyo 194-8508, Japan.

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The goal of bridge management is to determine and implement the best possible strategy that ensures
an adequate level of safety at the lowest possible life-cycle cost. Although this is generally recognized,
the integration of life-cycle cost analysis with bridge reliability analysis has been very limited.
Moreover, this has been formulated and illustrated only for individual bridges. A framework for
optimal network-level bridge maintenance planning based on minimum expected cost is presented.
The goal is the minimization of the expected maintenance cost of a bridge stock with maintenance of
the lifetime reliability of each bridge above an acceptable (target) level. The approach is illustrated
for a stock of realistic highway bridges. Individual bridges in this stock have different ages, and their
reliabilities are time dependent. The framework offers a rational basis for optimizing the resource
allocation for management of a stock of gradually deteriorating bridges based on balancing life-cycle
maintenance cost and lifetime reliability. This has important practical implications in the development
of the optimal management strategy for the bridge stock.

Aesthetics of Cable-Stayed Bridges

Man-Chung Tang
T. Y. Lin International, 825 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111.

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Among the various bridge types, cable-stayed bridges offer the most intriguing configurations.
By varying the shape of the towers, the arrangement of the cables, and the cross section of the deck
girder, it is almost always possible to create a cable-stayed bridge to fit in any given landscape. Since
their debut 45 years ago, the beauty of cable-stayed bridges has piqued the interest of engineers and
nonengineers alike.

Innovative Design and Construction of

Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Bridge
W. Denney Pate
Figg Bridge Engineers, Inc., 424 North Calhoun Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301.

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An outstanding accomplishment of bridge design, construction, and management, the Chesapeake and
Delaware (C&D) Canal Bridge demonstrates that precast, segmental, cable-stayed bridges can be an
economical and aesthetically pleasing solution in an area of the country where steel bridges are
predominant. The C&D Canal Bridge is the first major concrete segmental cable-stayed bridge
structure to be completed in the Northeast. The $58 million C&D Canal Bridge is a precast concrete,
segmental structure 1417 m (4,650 ft) in length. Twin parallel box girders were designed to provide six
lanes of travel with a total bridge width of 38.7 m (127 ft), with each precast box girder containing three
3.65-m (12-ft) lanes and two 3-m (10-ft) shoulders. Innovative construction techniques, economy, and
aesthetics were the primary focus of the construction and design solutions used for the 229-m (750-ft)
cable-stayed main-span crossing. The bridge was completed on schedule, with no claims or suits, at a
cost slightly under the original bid. A quality-based selection process for the bridge designer, a
prequalification process for the selection of the contractor, a disputes review panel, and informal
partnering during construction all contributed greatly to a very successful project. The use of precast
concrete elements provided an efficient and time-saving technique for the construction of this bridge.
In addition, precast concrete box girders, box piers, and delta frames were designed to anchor the cable
stays and make the parallel trapezoidal box girders monolithic throughout the main span.

Sidney Lanier Bridge, Georgia

Man-Chung Tang, Dennis Jang, and Hohsing Lee
T. Y. Lin International, 825 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111.

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The existing Sidney Lanier Bridge crossing the Brunswick River near Brunswick, Georgia, has a lift
span of 76.25 m (250 ft), which is deemed too small for the ships that visit the harbor today. The new
Sidney Lanier Bridge is a replacement for the existing structure to ensure navigational safety. It will be
2372.9 m (7,780 ft) long with a 381.25-m (1,250-ft) cable-stayed center span, which has a vertical
clearance of 56.425 m (185 ft) above the mean high water level. The new bridge will permit the passage
of any ship known to exist in the world today. The total width of the bridge deck is 24.71 m (81 ft),
which will accommodate two traffic lanes in each direction. The concrete deck girder consists of a
concrete slab 27.94 cm (11 in.) thick supported by 1.525-m (5-ft) by 1.45-m (4.75-ft) concrete
longitudinal girders at each edge and by transverse floor beams spaced at 8.29 m (27.17 ft). At the two
pylons, the superstructure is free to move in the longitudinal direction and restrained in the vertical and
transverse directions. The concrete deck is cast monolithically with the two end piers. Each concrete
pylon carries two vertical planes of fan-shaped cables anchored to the edge girders.

Forced and Ambient Vibration Tests and

Vibration Monitoring of Hakucho
Suspension Bridge
Yozo Fujino, Masato Abe, Hajime Shibuya, Masato Yanagihara, Masashi Sato,
Shun-Ichi Nakamura, and Yoshifumi Sakamoto
Y. Fujino and M. Abe, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8656 Japan. H. Shibuya,
M. Yanagihara, and M. Sato, Hokkaido Bureau of Development, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. S.-I. Nakamura, Department of Civil
Engineering, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, Japan. Y. Sakamoto, Nippon Steel Corporation, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.

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Forced and ambient dynamic tests of the Hakucho Bridge were carried out to study the dynamic
characteristics of this suspension bridge. Dense-array measurement was employed in order to capture
not only natural frequencies and damping, but also the mode shapes of the bridge. The natural
frequencies and mode shapes obtained from the forced and ambient vibration tests agreed well with
those calculated by a three-dimensional finite element model. A new method that combines the random
decrement method with the Ibrahim time domain method is proposed to systematically identify the
natural frequencies, damping, and mode shapes. This method is successfully applied to ambient
vibration data. It is shown that the natural frequency of the first vertical bending mode decreases
noticeably as the wind speed increases. It is also shown that the shape of the first vertical bending mode
changes slightly near the towers, depending on the wind velocity; this finding indicates that the change
may be associated with friction in the bearings at the towers. Finally, application of the Global
Positioning System to measure static displacement of the girder is explained.

Guideline for Evaluation of Scour at Bridges

Proposed ASCE Standard
Stanley R. Davis, Conor Shea, and Jorge E. Pagan-Ortiz
S. R. Davis, Office of Bridge Development, Maryland State Highway Administration, 707 North Calvert Street, Baltimore,
MD 21202. C. Shea, Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade & Douglas, Inc., 301 North Charles Street, Suite 200, Baltimore,
MD 21201. J. E. Pagan-Ortiz, Office of Bridge Technology, FHWA, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590.

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The ASCE Water Resources Engineering Division Task Committee on Bridge Management for Scour
Safety has prepared a draft ASCE standard entitled Guideline for the Evaluation of Scour at Bridges.
The committee plans to submit the draft standard to ASCE for review in 2000. The guideline presents
the views of committee members representing federal and state agencies, consultants, and universities
with regard to recommended practices and procedures for the evaluation of scour at bridges. The
guideline is generally consistent with previous publications on bridge scour evaluation published by
AASHTO and FHWA. However, it contains new guidance on a number of issues dealing with the
subject of scour evaluation. The guideline stresses the need for an interdisciplinary team of structural,
hydraulic, and geotechnical engineers to work together in the design of bridge foundations.

Prediction of Scour at Bridge Pier

Foundations Founded on Rock and Other
Earth Materials
George W. Annandale
Golder Associates, Inc., 44 Union Boulevard, Suite 300, Lakewood, CO 80228.

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The erodibility index method, which can be used to predict scour thresholds for rock and other earth
materials, is described. The scour threshold is defined by a relationship between the erodibility index
and stream power that is based on analysis of field and laboratory data. An explanation of how the
method is applied to calculate scour depth is presented, followed by a case study to calculate bridge pier
scour.

Maine Builds Longest-Span Precast

Segmental Bridge with Unique
Design-Build Selection Process
Alan R. Phipps
Figg Engineering Group, 1873 S. Bellaire Street, Suite 1025, Denver, CO 80222.

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The Bath-Woolwich Bridge in Maine will have the longest precast balanced cantilever concrete
segmental span in America128 m (420 ft)when completed. It carries U.S. Route 1 over the
Kennebec River between the city of Bath and the town of Woolwich. The bridge is scheduled for
completion in July 2000. The bridge designed by the design-build team has a total length of 906 m,
with 12 spans at lengths of 56-56-56-80-128-116-101-101-62-50-50-50 m. The 56- and 50-m end spans
are cast-in-place concrete box girders. The center spans are precast concrete segmental erected in
balanced cantilever. The two-cell box girder superstructure segments vary in depth from 6 m at the
piers to 2.8 m at midspan. The Maine Department of Transportation developed a unique procedure
to select a design-build team for this project, which included prequalifying four design-build teams to
submit proposals; scoring of technical proposals by a diverse group of 19 individuals; and combining
scores with price by dividing the price by the score, with the lowest price per score point winning. The
Maine Department of Transportations design-build selection process assured Maine of the best value
for this important project.

Influence of Elastomeric Bearings on

Traffic-Induced Vibration of
Highway Bridges
Mitsuo Kawatani, Yoshikazu Kobayashi, and Hideaki Kawaki
M. Kawatani, Department of Civil Engineering, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-Cho, Nada-Ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan.
Y. Kobayashi, Technology Headquarters, Nichizo Tech, Inc., 2-15-26 Tsurumachi, Taishou-Ku, Osaka, 551-0023, Japan.
H. Kawaki, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.

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Elastomeric bearings (rubber bearings) have been used in highway pseudo-continuous bridges without
joints changed from simple girders to reduce the environmental influence of traffic-induced vibration.
In addition, elastomeric bearings have been adopted in simple girder bridges for base isolation systems
of earthquakeproof structures. Three-dimensional analysis of dynamic response of bridges under
moving vehicles is carried out to examine the change of dynamic response in bridges caused by
replacing steel bearings with elastomeric bearings. Analytical results are compared with experimental
results in urban highway bridges. It is not shown clearly in experiments that natural frequencies are
changed slightly in analysis by replacing steel with elastomeric bearings. Although vertical
displacements of main girders at the span center do not almost change between steel and elastomeric
bearings, horizontal displacement in the bridge axis direction becomes larger with elastomeric bearings.
For the evaluation of the experimental acceleration of the ground motion, the dynamic reaction force is
analyzed and the dynamic influence is investigated.

Bridge-Condition Assessment and

Load Rating Using Nondestructive
Evaluation Methods
Michael J. Chajes, Harry W. Shenton III, and Dennis OShea
M. J. Chajes and H. W. Shenton III, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, 137 Dupont
Hall, Newark, DE 19716. D. OShea, Delaware Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 778, Dover, DE 19903.

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In most cases, bridge-condition assessment is made according to visual inspections, and bridge-load
ratings are determined with fairly simple analytical methods and without site-specific, live-load,
bridge-response data. As a result, estimates of bridge load-carrying capacity are often quite
conservative. The increased weight of todays trucks compared with design loads that are used for
older bridges, combined with the continued aging and deterioration of our nations bridges, has resulted
in a significant number of them being classified as structurally deficient. Reliable condition assessments
are essential to ensure the safety of the traveling public. Furthermore, because load-carrying capacity
is often used to prioritize bridges for repair, rehabilitation, and replacement, and because funds for
these actions are limited, it is more important than ever that these estimates be as accurate as possible.
To achieve this goal, researchers at the University of Delaware have been working with engineers at
the Delaware Department of Transportation to develop methods for improving the accuracy of bridgecapacity evaluation through use of nondestructive evaluation techniques. Among the methods currently
used are diagnostic load testing and in-service monitoring. These methods are described, and a detailed
case study that illustrates the applied methodologies is discussed.

Load Testing to Collapse Limit State of

Barr Creek Bridge
Nicholas Haritos, Anil Hira, Priyan Mendis, Rob Heywood, and Armando Giufre
N. Haritos, A. Hira, and P. Mendis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Melbourne, Grattan St., Parkville, Victoria,
Australia, 3052. R. Heywood, Infratech Systems and Services, P.O. Box 3699, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 4101.
A. Giufre, VicRoads Design, Private Bag 12, Camberwell Post Office, Camberwell, Victoria, Australia, 3124.

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VicRoads, the road authority for the state of Victoria, Australia, has been undertaking extensive
research into the load capacity and performance of cast-in-place reinforced concrete flat slab bridges.
One of the key objectives of this research is the development of analytical tools that can be used to
better determine the performance of these bridges under loadings to the elastic limit and subsequently
to failure. The 59-year-old Barr Creek Bridge, a flat slab bridge of four short continuous spans over
column piers, was made available to VicRoads in aid of this research. The static testing program
executed on this bridge was therefore aimed at providing a comprehensive set of measurements of
its response to serviceability level loadings and beyond. This test program was preceded by the
performance of a dynamic test (a simplified experimental modal analysis using vehicular excitation) to
establish basic structural properties of the bridge (effective flexural rigidity, EI) and the influence of the
abutment supports from identification of its dynamic modal characteristics. The dynamic test results
enabled a reliably tuned finite element model of the bridge in its in-service condition to be produced for
use in conjunction with the static testing program. The results of the static testing program compared
well with finite element modeling predictions in both the elastic range (serviceability loadings) and the
nonlinear range (load levels taken to incipient collapse). Observed collapse failure modes and
corresponding collapse load levels were also found to be predicted well using yield line theory.

Diagnostic Load Tests of a Prestressed

Concrete Bridge Damaged by
Overheight Vehicle Impact
Francesco M. Russo, Terry J. Wipf, and F. Wayne Klaiber
F. M. Russo, Office of Bridges and Structures, Iowa Department of Transportation, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50010.
T. J. Wipf, Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Iowa State University, 420 Town Engineering Building, Ames,
IA 50011. F. W. Klaiber, Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, 424 Town Engineering Building, Ames, IA 50011.

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A series of diagnostic load tests performed on two prestressed concrete bridges located in western Iowa
are discussed. The bridges are dual prestressed concrete I-beam structures. In June 1996, an overheight
vehicle struck the westbound structure and caused significant loss of section and cracking. As a result
of the severity of the damage and because of concerns about the remaining capacity and long-term
durability of the damaged beams, the Iowa Department of Transportation decided to remove the two
most severely damaged beams. The diagnostic load-testing portion of the research program consisted of
positioning test vehicles of known weight at predetermined locations along the deck of the damaged
westbound and undamaged eastbound bridge. Single- and dual-truck tests were conducted on each
bridge. Following replacement of the damaged beams in the westbound structure, additional tests were
conducted. The results of these three load tests are compared to determine the effect of the localized
beam damage on the overall live load distribution pattern in the bridge. The objective of this research is
to determine the effects of damage on the load distribution and the remaining strength of damaged
prestressed concrete bridges. Noticeable differences in response were detected in the westbound and
eastbound bridges before beam replacement, with the difference essentially disappearing after the
repair of the westbound bridge. The research project also involved model bridge testing, along with the
repair of the beams that were removed from service and those that were intentionally damaged in the
laboratory. The project is now complete.

Testing Bridges by Using Tiltmeter

Measurements
Ahmet K. Sanli, Erdogan A. Uzgider, Ozden B. Caglayan,
Kadir Ozakgul, and Jan Bien
A. K. Sanli, The University of Michigan, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2340 G. G. Brown Building,
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2125. E. A. Uzgider, O. B. Caglayan, and K. Ozakgul, Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Civil
Engineering, 80626 Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey. J. Bien, Wroclaw University of Technology, Instytut Inzynierii Ladowej,
Bud. A-1, ul.Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland.

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An efficient numerical procedure based on the cubic spline technique is developed to obtain the
vertical displacements of the bridge deck using the slope values measured at selected points under the
test loading. Most static load tests of bridges are performed to evaluate the stiffness characteristics of
bridge structures or to check the accuracy of their computer models. From this standpoint, vertical
displacements of the bridge under certain loads have a crucial importance. However, if the bridge is
over a river, a lake, muddy ground, or a major highway, conventional displacement transducers cannot
be used appropriately for this purpose. Furthermore, strong wind and the bridges height badly affect
the accuracy of the transducers. Another way to obtain bridge deflections is to use an indirect method.
Tiltmeters, which have been increasingly used for construction monitoring and structural testing of
bridges, are suitable devices in terms of indirect deflection measurements because of their
characteristics such as high sensitivity, easy installation, and small electrical drift. The testing and
evaluation procedure developed was applied on a real bridge, and the results indicated that this method
could be applied to obtain vertical displacements of bridges as an alternative to the use of conventional
displacement transducers.

Bridge 1-351 over Muddy Run

Design, Testing, and Erection of an All-Composite Bridge
J. W. Gillespie, Jr., D. A. Eckel II, W. M. Edberg, S. A. Sabol, D. R. Mertz,
M. J. Chajes, H. W. Shenton III, C. Hu, M. Chaudhri, A. Faqiri, and J. Soneji
J. W. Gillespie, Jr., D. A. Eckel II, W. M. Edberg, D. R. Mertz, M. J. Chajes, and H. W. Shenton III, Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716-3144. C. Hu, Department of Material Science and
Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716-3144. S. A. Sabol, Delaware Transportation Institute, 451 Wyoming
Road, Newark, DE 19716. M. Chaudhri, A. Faqiri, and J. Soneji, Delaware Department of Transportation, Dover, DE 19903.

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Bridge 1-351 on Business Route 896 in Glasgow, Delaware, was replaced with one of the first
state-owned all-composite bridges in the nation. Composites are lightweight construction materials
that do not corrode, which results in benefits such as ease of construction and reduced maintenance
costs. A summary of the design, large-scale testing, fabrication, erection, and monitoring of this
bridge is presented. The bridge was designed to AASHTO load and resistance factor design
specifications. A methodology was developed to incorporate the engineering properties of these unique
composite materials into the design. The bridge consists of two 13 32 ft (3.96 9.75 m) sections
joined by a unique longitudinal joint. The sections have sandwich construction consisting of a core
[28 in. (71.12 cm) deep] and facesheets [0.4 to 0.6 in. (10.16 to 15.24 mm) thick] that provide shear
and flexural rigidity, respectively. The composite bridge was fabricated with E-glass preforms and
vinyl-ester resin, which offers excellent structural performance and long-term durability. Each of the
sections was fabricated to near-net shape in a single step by a vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding
process. The overall structural behavior has been accurately predicted with simple design equations
based on sandwich theory for anisotropic materials. Large-scale testing of full-sized subcomponents
was conducted to prove that the design satisfied deflection, fatigue, and strength limit states. A
redundant longitudinal joint was designed that consisted of both an adhesively bonded vertical joint
between sections and splice plates. Assembly procedures were developed, and transverse testing of the
full-sized joint was conducted. Final bridge sections were proof-tested to the strength limit state. The
construction phase included section positioning, joint assembly, and application of a latex-modified
concrete wear surface. The bridge was reopened to traffic on November 20, 1998. Results from the
long-term monitoring effort will be documented.

Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Wrapping of

Deteriorated Concrete Columns
J. Preston Halstead, Jerome S. OConnor, Khuong Luu,
Sreenivas Alampalli, and Amy Minser
J. P. Halstead and A. Minser, TVGA Engineering, Surveying, P.C., 1000 Maple Rd., P.O. Box H, Elma, NY 14059.
J. S. OConnor, New York State Department of Transportation, 107 Broadway, Hornell, NY 14843. K. Luu, Federal Transit
Administration, 201 Mission Street, Suite 2210, San Francisco, CA 94105. S. Alampalli, Transportation R&D Bureau,
New York State Department of Transportation, Building 7A, Room 600, 1220 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12232-0869.

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The New York State Department of Transportation initiated a fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)
Column Wrap Demonstration Project in March 1998. The purpose of this project is to investigate the
effectiveness and efficiency of preserving deteriorated concrete with FRP, its possible detrimental
effects, and its viability as an alternative for concrete column repair and rehabilitation without regard
to seismic considerations. To the authors knowledge, this is the first FRP column wrap demonstration
project of its kind to involve most of the FRP wrap suppliers in the United States. A 5-year conditionmonitoring program was established to monitor the performance of FRP wrapping in preserving the
concrete columns. A baseline condition of the piers was established through testing, including concrete
cores for compressive strength, chlorides, pH, and freeze-thaw resistance; hammer soundings; and a
tight-grid survey of electric potentials. Concrete spalls were repaired; however, delaminations were not.
To monitor corrosion of the column reinforcing steel, corrosion probes using linear polarization
technology were embedded in the concrete. Initial corrosion readings were collected before wrapping,
enhancing the observed baseline condition data. In addition, concrete humidity and temperature probes
were installed through the FRP wraps, and strain gauges were mounted on the FRP wraps. Data will
be collected at 3-month intervals for 4 or 5 years. The wraps will be removed after monitoring, and a
complete column testing program will be implemented at that time.

Durability of Composite Reinforcement for

Timber Bridges
Eoin P. Battles, Habib J. Dagher, and Beckry Abdel-Magid
E. P. Battles and H. J. Dagher, Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5793.
B. Abdel-Magid, Winona State University, 203A, Stark Hall, Winona, MN 55987-5838.

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Fiber-reinforced polymeric (FRP) composites are materials that are increasing in use in civil engineering
applications. Despite the excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance offered by these
organic matrix materials, their susceptibility to the synergistic effects of stress and environmental
weathering hinders their widespread acceptance in civil engineering. The durability of a specific
formulation of wood-compatible, pultruded, E-glassphenolic composite is characterized. This composite
is unique because its layered structure and void content make it compatible with standard structural
wood adhesives. The durability of this wood-compatible FRP reinforcement cannot be directly
determined from published work on the durability of E-glass composites because of its unique design.
A durability test matrix was generated according to specifications and test standards from the
International Conference of Building Officials Evaluation Service, Inc., and from the California
Department of Transportation. Physical and mechanical properties that were used as indicators of
degradation mechanisms and that applied to the bridge environment included tensile behavior,
interlaminar shear strength, void content, and glass-transition temperature. Environmental testing
involved exposure to various storage media, such as moisture, saline solutions, and calcium carbonate,
followed by mechanical testing. Other exposure treatments included dry heat, cyclic freeze-thaw,
accelerated weathering, and natural weathering. In addition to the strength-retention determination after
environmental conditioning, control and exposed specimens were examined visually with optical and
scanning electron microscopy to determine surface changes and their effect on failure and fracture modes.

Control of Live Load on Bridges

Andrzej S. Nowak, Junsik Eom, and Ahmet Sanli
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2370 G. G. Brown Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
MI 48109-2125.

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Application of field testing for an efficient evaluation and control of live-load effects on bridges is
described. A system is considered that involves monitoring of various parameters, including vehicle
weight, dynamic load component, and load effects (moment, shear force, stress, strain) in bridge
components, and verification of the minimum load-carrying capacity of the bridge. Therefore, an
important part of the study is development of a procedure for measuring live-load spectra on bridges.
Truck weight, including gross vehicle weight, axle loads, and spacing, is measured to determine the
statistical parameters of the actual live load. Strain and stress are measured in various components of
girder bridges to determine component-specific load. Minimum load-carrying capacity is verified by
proof load tests. It has been confirmed that live-load effects are strongly site specific and component
specific. The measured strains were relatively low and considerably lower than predicted by analysis.
Dynamic load factor decreases with increasing static load effect. For fully loaded trucks, it is lower than
the code-specified value. Girder distribution factors observed in the tests are also lower than the values
specified by the design code. The proof load test results indicated that the structural response is linear
with the absolute value of measured strain considerably lower than expected. Field tests confirmed that
the tested bridges are adequate to carry normal truck traffic.

Live-Load Girder Distribution Factors for

Bridges Subjected to Wide Trucks
Sami W. Tabsh and Muna Tabatabai
S. W. Tabsh, Department of Civil Engineering, American University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 26666, Sharjah, United Arab
Emirates. M. Tabatabai, Texas Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 1386, Houston, TX 77251-1386.

FULL
TEXT

An important problem facing engineers and officials in the United States is the constraint imposed on
transportation due to limitations of bridges. These limitations typically constrain vehicles to minimum
heights and widths, to minimum and maximum lengths, and to a maximum allowable weight. However,
with current demands of society and industry, there are times when a truck must carry a load that
exceeds the size and weight of the legal limit. In this situation, the trucking company requests from
the state departments of transportation an overload permit. For a truck with a wheel gauge larger than
1.8 m (6 ft), the process of issuing a permit for an overload truck requires a tremendous amount of
engineering efforts. This is because the wheel load girder distribution factors (GDFs) in the design
specifications cannot be used to estimate the live-load effect in the girders. In some cases, an expensive
and time-consuming finite element analysis may be needed to check the safety of the structure. In this
study, the finite element method is used to develop a modification factor for the GDF in AASHTOs
LRFD Bridge Design Specifications to account for oversized trucks with a wheel gauge larger than
1. 8 m. To develop this factor, nine bridges were considered with various numbers of girders, span
lengths, girder spacings, and deck slab thicknesses. The results indicated that use of the proposed
modification factor with the GDF in the design specifications can help increase the allowable load
on slab-on-girder bridges.

Permit Vehicle Routing Using

Reliability-Based Evaluation Procedures
Joan R. Casas
Technical University of Catalunya, Civil Engineering Department, Gran Capitan s/n. Modulo C1, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.

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TEXT

The works carried out within the framework of the development of an automatic system for permit
vehicle routing on the Spanish National Highway network are described. The focus is on the
methodology adopted for analysis of the old existing bridges. Because information about bridge
properties (geometry, material strength) and design live load is unknown, the evaluation procedure
combines the information provided by in situ measurements and inspection with a reliability-based
evaluation. The reliability index for the most critical limit states derived from the maximum effects due
to actual traffic on the bridge is adopted as the comparison value to define a passage criterion. Any
permit crossing the bridge alone or with traffic restrictions leading to a lower reliability index will not
be allowed on the bridge. The actual traffic load is obtained from existing traffic records using a model
of traffic flow. The method is applied to 10 bridges fully representative of the old and nondocumented
bridges most often encountered on Spanish highways. The final result is definition of the standard
permits as presented in Eurocode 1 that are allowed on the bridge. From the most unfavorable permit,
a criterion is derived concerning the actual vehicle permits.

Simplified Load Distribution for

Vehicles with Nonstandard Axle Gauges
Brian L. Goodrich and Jay A. Puckett
B. L. Goodrich, BridgeTech, Inc., 302 South 2nd, Suite 200, Laramie, WY 82070. J. A. Puckett, Department of Civil and
Architectural Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071-3295.

FULL
TEXT

Several simplified methods have been developed to determine the live-load distribution factors for
overweight vehicles on slab-on-girder bridges; however, these methods were developed for vehicles with
standard axles. Many vehicles exist with nonstandard axle configurations, such as two-wheel axles that
are wider than 6 ft (1.83 m) and four-wheel axles with wheels that are evenly or unevenly spaced. For
these vehicles, a rigorous analysis is generally desired but is often deemed uneconomical. Therefore, a
simplified method should be an asset to the bridge community and the trucking industry. A simplified
method for determining live-load distribution factors for vehicles with nonstandard axle configurations
is presented. Distribution factor formulas for moment and shear in interior and exterior girders are
given. These formulas account for the transverse axle configurations that compose a vehicle. Several
two- and four-wheel axle configurations are considered. The distribution factor formulas for slab-ongirder bridges presented in the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications are incorporated into the
proposed simplified method. The simplified method formulas were developed to approximate the results
from a rigorous finite strip method. Comparisons are presented as verification of the accuracy of the
simplified method. The simplified method results are usually conservative and correlate reasonably well
with the rigorous results. In general, simplified methods worked better for interior girders than for
exterior girders, and moment was better predicted than shear.

Structural Design of High-Performance

Concrete Bridge Beams
Xiaoming (Sharon) Huo and Maher K. Tadros
X. Huo, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tennessee Technology University, Cookeville, TN 38505.
M. K. Tadros, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of NebraskaLincoln, Omaha, NE 68182.

FULL
TEXT

Recently high-performance concrete (HPC) has been used in highway bridges and has gained
popularity for its short-term and prospective long-term performances. Benefits of using HPC include
fewer girder lines required, longer span capacity of girders, reduced creep and shrinkage deformation,
less prestress losses, longer life cycle, and less maintenance of bridges. Research has been conducted on
several issues of structural design of HPC bridge beams. The topics discussed include the effects of
section properties of prestressed concrete girders, allowable tensile and compressive stresses, creep and
shrinkage deformations of HPC, and prediction of prestress losses with HPC. The results from a
parametric study have shown that a section that can have a large number of strands placed in its
bottom flange is more suitable for HPC applications. The use of 15-mm-diameter prestressing strands
allows the higher prestressing force applied on sections and can provide more efficiency in HPC
bridges. The research results also indicate that the allowable compressive strength of HPC has a major
effect on the structural design of bridges, whereas the allowable tensile stress has a minor effect on the
design. Equations for predicting prestress losses based on the experimental and analytical results are
recommended. The recommended equations consider the effects of lower creep and shrinkage
deformations of HPC.

Implementation of High Strength

High Performance Concrete in Two
Texas Highway Overpass Structures
Critical Comparison
Shawn P. Gross and Ned H. Burns
S. P. Gross, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova,
PA 19085-1681. N. H. Burns, Phil M. Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory, Building 177, J. J. Pickle Research
Campus, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78758.

FULL
TEXT

Two prestressed concrete highway overpass structures, the Louetta Road Overpass and the North
Concho River Overpass, were recently constructed in Texas. The structures were built with high
strengthhigh performance concrete (HS-HPC) with nominal strengths of up to 61 MPa (8,800 psi) at
release of prestress and 97 MPa (14,000 psi) at 56 days. The use of HS-HPC, in addition to the use of
prestressing strands that measured 15 mm (0.6 in.) in diameter, allowed for the accommodation of
longer spans and larger girder spacing than are typical for similar designs with conventional concrete.
As a result, the structural designs were extremely efficient when compared with the conventional
designs. In addition, use of HPC in bridge decks is expected to result in reduced maintenance
requirements and a longer service life for each bridge, thereby reducing life-cycle costs. Although HPC
is used in both structures to increase structural efficiency and reduce projected life-cycle costs, the
structures are quite different and represent unique applications of HPC. Both structures were
instrumented as part of an extensive research program, and data were collected on prestress losses,
camber and deflections, concrete strains, and concrete temperatures in several actual bridge girders.
These data, in combination with observations regarding practical issues such as fabrication, handling,
and overall construction costs, are used to compare and contrast the use of HPC in the two bridges.
A brief set of recommendations for the use of HPC in future highway bridge projects is also presented.

Design of the Cross Florida Greenway

Land Bridge Over I-75 Using Precast
Florida U-Beams
Charles F. Duggar, Jr., and John A. Corven
Daniel, Mann, Johnson & Mendenhall, 1435 East Piedmont Drive, Suite 211, Tallahassee, FL 32312.

FULL
TEXT

The Cross Florida Greenway is a multiuse trail that bisects the central region of Florida, an area that
was originally set aside for the Cross Florida Barge Canal. After Congress deauthorized the barge
canal, the Cross Florida Greenway State Recreational Area was created, and the canal property was
turned over to the state. Interstate 75 interrupts the Cross Florida Greenway in Marion County in a
north-to-south direction for a distance of about 1829 m (6,000 ft) along the I-75 centerline. No bridges
or underpass structures currently exist that connect both sides of the Greenway. Through several years
of study, the Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection developed a land bridge concept for traversing the I-75 right-of-way while continuing the
Greenway characteristics across the bridge. The land bridge concept is used internationally and is
conducive to wildlife usage. The structure will be 16 m (52.5 ft) wide. It will provide a stabilized section
along the center portion of the bridge for bicyclists, pedestrians, and equestrians, as well as earthen
berms to support plantings along the outside edges of the structure. The key unique structural elements
of the bridge, which is the first precast U-beam superstructure to be constructed in the state, include use
of open triangular-shaped median piers, integral abutments, and geosynthetic-reinforced, vegetated
approach slopes. The project is expected to attract national and international attention because it may
be the first of its kind in the United States and because of its location along the heavily traveled I-75.

In-Service Performance of
High-Performance Concrete Bridge Decks
Sreenivas Alampalli and Frank Owens
New York State Department of Transportation, 1220 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12232-0869.

FULL
TEXT

The current statewide standard for New York State bridge decks is Class HP (high-performance)
concrete. This mix was introduced in April 1996 to increase deck durability by reducing cracking and
permeability. Since its introduction, more than 80 bridge decks have been built with Class HP concrete.
To compare the performance of Class HP concrete with that of previously specified concrete, the decks
were visually inspected. Results indicated that Class HP decks performed better than previously
specified concrete in resisting both longitudinal and transverse cracking. Furthermore, of the 84 decks
inspected, 49 percent exhibited no cracking at all, but of those that had cracked, 88 percent exhibited
equal or less longitudinal cracking and 80 percent exhibited equal or less transverse cracking than
previously specified concrete. A final result showed that average transverse crack density on Class HP
decks, excluding uncracked decks, was 6.9 cm/m2. This value is comparable with crack densities for
other decks (not using HP mix) that were reported in recent literature.

Bridge Management for the 21st Century

James E. Roberts and Richard Shepard
California Department of Transportation, 1801 30th Street, MS-9, Sacramento, CA 94274-0001.

FULL
TEXT

Bridge management has been a subject of intense interest and development for the past 10 years.
In support of improved bridge management, FHWA funded the development of the Pontis bridge
computer program, which is now in use by approximately 40 of the 50 states. In addition, many new
guide specifications have been produced to assist bridge managers in their efforts to better manage the
nations aging bridge inventory. The AASHTO Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures has taken the
lead along with FHWA in implementing the improved bridge management systems. California and a
few other states have been critical of the current ranking system for bridge maintenance and have been
working to develop an improved performance measure. The bridge health index (HI), an improved and
more comprehensive numerical rating system that uses the element inspection data to determine the
remaining asset value of a bridge or network of bridges, is discussed. The HI is more consistent with the
element-level evaluation data collected and reported in the Pontis program. Examples of the application
of the HI are included.

Comprehensive Bridge Scour

Evaluation Methodology
P. F. Lagasse, E. V. Richardson, and L. W. Zevenbergen
Ayres Associates, P.O. Box 270460, Fort Collins, CO 80527.

FULL
TEXT

In the United States, bridge scour technology is discussed primarily in three FHWA publications:
Hydraulic Engineering Circular (HEC) 18: Evaluating Scour at Bridges; HEC-2: Stream Stability at
Highway Structures; and HEC-23: Bridge Scour and Stream Instability Countermeasures. Together, these
documents provide guidance to state highway agencies that is necessary for completing comprehensive
scour and stream instability evaluations for the design of new bridges and for repairing existing bridges.
Experience has shown that the relationships among the three documents are not always readily
apparent, and some scour evaluations have relied primarily on HEC-18. A comprehensive flowchart
that illustrates the interrelationship among the three FHWA scour-related documents has been
developed. In addition, in 1998, FHWA, TRB, and AASHTO sponsored a scanning review of European
practice for bridge scour and stream instability countermeasures. In 1999, ASCE published a
compendium of papers on stream stability and scour at highway bridges, and FHWA prepared an
annotated bibliography to support revisions to the three HECs. It is anticipated that the flowchart and
the substantial information from the scanning review, the compendium, and the annotated bibliography
will be included in the next revisions to HEC-18, HEC-20, and HEC-23. On the basis of information
from these sources, a comprehensive approach to bridge scour and stream instability evaluations is
outlined, and an overview of planned revisions to the three FHWA HECs is provided.

Highway Bridge Seismic Design

How Current Research May Affect Future Design Practice
Ian M. Friedland, Ronald L. Mayes, W. Phillip Yen, and John OFallon
I. M. Friedland, Applied Technology Council, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20004.
R. L. Mayes, 129 Santa Catalina Court, Moraga, CA 94556. W. P. Yen and J. OFallon, Federal Highway Administration,
HRDI-07, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, 6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101.

FULL
TEXT

Under several contracts sponsored by FHWA, the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering
Research has been conducting a research program on highway structure seismic design and
construction. Among its objectives, the program studies the seismic vulnerability of highway bridges,
tunnels, and retaining structures and develops information that could be used, in the case of bridges, to
revise current national design specifications. A specific requirement of the program is to have research
results independently reviewed and assessed to determine the impact they may have on future seismic
design specifications for highway structures. Some of the important results of the research that has been
conducted under the program are summarized, and issues that resulted from this impact assessment
about expected changes in future seismic design practice of highway bridges are discussed.

Performance of Precast Segmental

Structures with External Tendons
Under Moderate Seismic Conditions
Alan J. Moreton, Arthur L. Wolek, Garrett G. Hoffman, Juan J. Goi, and
Jos M. Rodriguez
Figg Engineering Group, 424 North Calhoun Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301.

FULL
TEXT

The 1998 draft of the AASHTO Guide Specifications for Segmental Bridges restricts the use of external
posttensioning tendons in regions of severe seismic activity, Seismic Performance Category (SPC) C and
SPC D, by requiring that at least 50 percent of the tendons be internal to the concrete. This requirement
has also been applied to selected projects in SPC B designed before or during the development of the
1998 draft. A case study is presented that substantiates the use of purely externally posttensioned
structures in SPC B and indicates that the requirement may not even be necessary for SPCs C and D.
The case study concerns a project in which precast segmental superstructures carry a light-rail access
system to the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Two different precast segmental
superstructures with external tendons are modeled using a multimode spectral analysis. The goal is to
determine the stress levels under the worst possible seismic conditions for SPC B and, in particular,
to establish whether the joints would open or crack and the external tendons would suffer any distress.
For both models, results show conclusively that the forces, moments, and stresses in the superstructure
are less severe than under normal service level loads. Thus, there is no risk of cracking or opening of
joints, and the external tendons experience no increase in stress over their normal service conditions.
In addition, research shows that there is no significant difference in behavior between external and
internal tendons for loads within ultimate conditions.

Seismic Hazard Study for

New York City Area Bridges
Ayaz H. Malik
Structures Division, New York State Department of Transportation, 1220 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12232.

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TEXT

In the early 1990s, site-specific studies were conducted to evaluate the seismic hazard for four New York
City area transportation construction projects. The rock motions developed as a result of the four
independent site-specific studies reflected wide disparities in the ground motions for the city area. An
expert panel was assigned the task of developing rock motions for the New York City area that can be
applied uniformly for the design of new structures and retrofitting of existing structures. Summarized
are the findings and the resulting changes to the New York State Department of Transportation
requirement for evaluating ground motions in the city area, namely, importance classification,
performance criteria, two-level seismic hazards, and site amplification factors.

Risk-Based Design of Bridge Scour

Countermeasures
David R. Pearson, J. Sterling Jones, and Stuart M. Stein
D. R. Pearson and S. M. Stein, GKY and Associates, Inc., 5411-E Backlick Road, Springfield, VA 22151.
J. S. Jones, Federal Highway Administration, 6300 Georgetown Pike, HNR-10, McLean, VA 22101.

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TEXT

HYRISK was originally developed to prioritize bridges with unknown foundations to determine where
to spend limited resources to investigate those bridges. It was later modified to prioritize bridges of any
type for scour evaluations where there are limited resources for the evaluations each year. The model is
based on information that can be read from the National Bridge Inventory and accounts for average
daily traffic, detour lengths, value of lost time, risks associated with scour at various types of
foundations, bridge condition, bridge geometry, and bridge age. The model can readily be modified for
use as a decision tool to select various levels of countermeasures for a bridge that has already been
evaluated and determined to be scour critical for some probability flood event. For that application, the
model can use the determined probability of failure and does not need to rely on the assumed risks for
various foundation types. The model will need to account for the risk of loss of life on the basis of recent
experience. The bridge owner will provide information on the expected life of the bridge and the costs of
various levels of protection. The model will determine the optimum level of protection for the bridge
and the maximum expenditures that should be accepted to increase the level of protection.

European Practice for Bridge Scour and

Stream Instability Countermeasures
David W. Bryson, Daniel G. Ghere, and William H. Hulbert
D. W. Bryson, Oregon Department of Transportation, 301 Transportation Building, Salem, OR 97310. D. G. Ghere, Illinois
Department of Transportation, 2300 South Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, IL 62764. W. H. Hulbert, South Carolina Department
of Transportation, P.O. Box 191, Columbia, SC 29202.

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TEXT

FHWA, AASHTO, and TRB sponsored a scanning review of European practice for bridge scour and
stream instability countermeasures in October 1998. The review involved a panel of representatives
from six state highway agencies (California, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, and South
Carolina), FHWA, two universities, and the private sector. The review included visits to hydraulic
research laboratories, highway research institutes, and field sites in four countriesSwitzerland,
Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Findings during the scanning review can be
classified as general observations and observations of specific countermeasures. General observations of
European practice include design philosophy, risk analysis, environmental policy, river geomorphology,
scour prediction, modeling, and inspection and monitoring. Observations of specific countermeasures
include riprap design and construction, filter design and construction, river-training structures,
riverbed degradation countermeasures, bioengineering, and flow-altering devices. These observations
are contrasted with U.S. practice. The panels recommendations for modifying U.S. practice on the
basis of the European experience and findings that deserve further evaluation are also presented.

Scour Countermeasures Using

Geosynthetics and Partially Grouted Riprap
Michael H. Heibaum
BAW (Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute), Kussmaulst. 17, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany.

FULL
TEXT

The main requirement of any scour countermeasure or scour protection measure is to prevent erosion,
so a top layer has to be built that is sufficiently resistant against the hydrodynamic loads and that
protects the subsoil. Single elements have to be large enough to withstand the scouring forces and
require an appropriate layer thickness. Smaller, mutually connected elements allow for a moderate
layer thickness but provide the same resistance. To avoid excess water pressures below the top layer,
permeable systems are recommended. A very reliable system is partially grouted riprap, which meets
all the requirements of strength, flexibility, and permeability. Permeable systems need a well-designed
filter. Placement of a grain filter or a geotextile filter is complicated by the current, so special equipment
is needed. In mild currents a sandmat (a sand-filled nonwoven geotextile) can be used. In stronger
currents use of geosynthetic geocontainers is proposed to achieve both a high resistance against the
current and a well-performing filter.

Testing the Effectiveness of Scour

Countermeasures by Physical Modeling
Norbert O. Eisenhauer and Bernd Rossbach
N. O. Eisenhauer, University of Applied Sciences Karlsruhe, Moltkestr. 30, D-76133, Karlsruhe, Germany.
B. Rossbach, Bundesanstalt fr Wasserbau, Kussmaulstr. 17, D-76187, Karlsruhe, Germany.

FULL
TEXT

The physical modeling of the scouring process at bridge piers is a proven method to obtain information
about the size of the scour and the flow velocities that generate the scour. On the basis of this
information, appropriate countermeasures can be designed. The advantage of the physical model is its
application to all, even the most complex, pier geometries. Because approach flow is uniform in most
cases, physical model tests can be carried out in a hydraulic flume, a method that gives fast and reliable
results. The Federal Waterways and Engineering Institute (Bundesanstalt fr Wasserbau) in Karlsruhe,
Germany, conducted such model tests using piers of a new bridge over the Rhine River between the
cities of Mannheim and Ludwigshafen. Shortly after sheet piles were driven into the riverbed as a
formwork for the lower part of the pier, severe scouring of the riverbed occurred. Consequently, the
stability of the sheet pile formwork was endangered. The ad hoc countermeasure of placing riprap into
the scour did not stop local scouring. An additional cover layer of coarser stones was placed on top of
the previous layer, stopping the erosion process at mean flow. Model tests were conducted to estimate
the durability and stability of the ad hoc countermeasure for flood events. The tests proved that the
riprap was stable, even at flood events, and that the scour had shifted away from the pier to the joint
between the riprap and the original riverbed. A flood event with a peak of 3 days above the tested flood
water level occurred in March 1999. No negative effects on the riprap have been observed until now.