Calibration of Live-Load Factor in LRFD Bridge Design Specifications Based on State-Specific Traffic Environments

Abstract

In this paper, the live load factor in the Strength I Limit State in the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications is calibrated based on state-specific traffic environments and bridge configurations. As the initial development of the live load factor in the LRFD specifications was intended to be applied at the national level, state-specific traffic conditions, such as traffic volume, truck load, or bridge configurations, were not considered in the development process. In addition, due to the lack of reliable U.S. truck weight data in the early 1990s, truck data from Ontario, Canada, collected in the 1970s were used for the initial AASHTO calibration. Hence, the application of the live load factor in the LRFD specifications may result in over- or under-designed bridges for a specific state. Through reliability analysis of bridges based on state-specific traffic and bridge conditions, the live load factor can be recalibrated to achieve both reliable and economical bridge design. In this study, the traffic data collected for 5 years at weigh-in-motion stations in Missouri are used to simulate realistic truck loads. In addition, typical bridge configurations identified from statistical analyses of 2007 National Bridge Inventory are used to define representative bridges in Missouri. Reliability analysis results using the weigh-in-motion data and the representative bridge configurations show that most bridges have reliability indexes higher than 3.5. Live load calibration factors for the design of new bridges in Missouri are proposed as a function of the bridge’s average daily truck traffic.