Field Test and Rating of Arlington Curved-Steel Box-Girder Bridge: Jacksonville, Florida

Abstract

A load capacity rating procedure and the results of field tests conducted on the Arlington curved-steel box-girder bridge are presented. Two Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) test trucks with a total weight of up to 117 tons provided the static loading. One FDOT test truck with a total weight of 52.7 tons applied the dynamic loading. The actual behavior of the bridge was ascertained by comparing the field test results with those obtained from three different theoretical mechanical models. Analysis demonstrates how the actual mechanical behavior and load capacity of a curved-steel box-girder bridge can be well predicted by a proper finite element method based on as-built bridge plans. Some important parameters, such as impact factors, the effective width of the concrete slab, and the structural effect of barriers, are discussed. Finally, the load rating factors for a variety of Florida's rating vehicles were determined on the basis of a finite element model generated from field test results and analytical modeling of the bridge. The current capacity ratings are approximately 17% to 27% higher than those determined in 1988 using a conventional analytical method. The capacity increase is due mostly to the conservativeness of traditional methods and codes. The research results are instructive and applicable to bridge design and bridge load rating.