Bridge Rehabilitation Project Research Articles

Equitable Prioritization of Bridge Rehabilitation Projects Using a Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Support Framework

Equitable Prioritization of Bridge Rehabilitation Projects Using a Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Support Framework

Ontological knowledge base for concrete bridge rehabilitation project management

Concrete bridges are critical infrastructures, which require effective rehabilitation to maintain a good condition. Bridge rehabilitation projects have complex constraints and multiple participants. Constraint management is critical for such projects. Integrating and searching for relevant information is a key step for constraint management to timely remove constraints. However, accessing project information still relies on manual searching, which can delay information flow in constraint management and hinder constraint removal. Thus, this study introduces the concrete bridge rehabilitation project management ontology (CBRPMO) to improve information integration and constraint management. The CBRPMO was created by comprehensively collecting domain knowledge of bridge rehabilitation and following standard procedures. Reasoning rules were combined with an application programming interface (i.e. OWL API) to enable functions not supported in traditional ontologies (e.g. temporal computation and dynamic updating). As such, the CBRPMO can effectively handle dynamic information in ongoing projects. The CBRPMO was validated in a case study. The results show that the CBRPMO can: 1) integrate project information of constraints, tasks and procedures, participants, and relations between these project entities; 2) support various management functions based on dynamic project information, including evaluating project progress, constraint removal, and participants' performance. The CBRPMO contributes to the industry by: 1) extending the application of ontologies in the bridge sector to cover the rehabilitation stage; 2) enhancing functions of conventional ontologies; and 3) reducing information searching time compared to manual searching, which improves constraint management approaches by automating the information searching step.

Comfort assessment for rehabilitation scaffold in road-railway bridge subjected to train-bridge-scaffold coupling vibration

Rehabilitation scaffolding attached to an operating bridge always vibrates during construction works. Hence, individuals working on the scaffold may feel uncomfortable from exposure to excessive vibration. This paper proposes a strategy to assess the comfort of the scaffold with regard to the train-bridge-scaffold coupling vibration. Thereby, the dynamic response of the scaffold subjected to moving train loads can be calculated using a numerical model of the train-bridge-scaffold coupling vibration. The calculation results were compared with the results obtained by an on-site experiment to validate the numerical model. The vibration acceleration level (VAL) recommended by ISO 2631 was adopted as the comfort index to assess the comfort of the scaffold. A case study considering the Nanjing Yangtze bridge rehabilitation project was carried out to demonstrate the proposed procedure. The assessment results revealed that the comfort index was mainly determined by the vertical dynamic response of the scaffold. The distribution and magnitude of the frequency spectrum of this acceleration response were influenced by the structural stiffness and its spatial distribution, structural mass and its spatial distribution, and train speed. Higher structural stiffness and lower mass resulted in a higher VAL. Additionally, the VAL value increased with the train speed increment.

Post-installed shear connectors: Push-out tests of coiled spring pins vs. headed studs

Steadily increasing traffic volumes and traffic loads lead to a continuously growing demand for bridge rehabilitation, strengthening and replacement projects. For existing steel girder bridges with non-composite concrete decks, the traffic load capacity can often be increased significantly if composite action can be created afterwards. Different kinds of shear connectors are more or less suitable for post-installation. Coiled spring pins are one type of interference fit connector that can be installed from below the bridge deck during traffic, in order to minimize the impact on road users. This paper describes an experimental study on the static capacity and stiffness of coiled spring pins used as shear connectors at steel-concrete interfaces. Six push-out test series are presented, with a total of 28 tests, together with an alternative type of test set-up. The results show that the failure of the coiled spring pins is very ductile and that the load capacity is predictable and sufficient for a cost-effective application. The tests also indicate a significantly lower stiffness of the connectors in comparison to welded headed studs of similar dimensions, which might be of great importance if an existing shear connection is strengthened.

An application of fuzzy factor analysis for sustainable bridge maintenance and retrofit projects

Sustainability in bridge maintenance and retrofit projects is an essential factor to achieve sustainable infrastructure development. Many studies have discussed issues relating to sustainable design and construction of transportation infrastructure; however, no major study has been conducted to identify the most significant factors involved in sustainable bridge rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to address the lack of Critical Green Factors (CGFs) for bridge rehabilitation projects. An extensive review was carried out to explore and identify the factors that are appropriate for rehabilitation projects. The research data were collected from a questionnaire survey and discussions with bridge engineering experts. Because of the imprecision and vagueness in subjective responses, the fuzziness in data analysis was taken into account by applying fuzzy set theory. The identified factors were then classified applying factor analysis to reduce the green factors into smaller meaningful groups. Three cut-off values, λ = 0.85, 0.90, and 0.95, were tested which resulted in the identification of 120, 111 and 77 factors, respectively. Accordingly, 77 critical factors were selected and classified together as a cluster of similar items into 14 groups. The findings of the study are expressed as groups of weighted CGFs that can be applied in green bridges rating systems.

Selection of the Method for Rehabilitation of Historic Bridges—A Decision Support Concept for the Planning of Rehabilitation Projects

ABSTRACTThis article presents a decision support concept for management of rehabilitation projects. The focus of the research is on the application of multicriteria methods of decision-making in planning a historic bridge rehabilitation project. The problem addressed in this research is a major one from many different perspectives, such as civil engineering, economics, etc., which indicates a need for the evaluation of different rehabilitation methods using several different criteria. Therefore, a decision support concept for a historic bridge rehabilitation method based on the PROMETHEE method has been designed. Three groups of stakeholders have been included (civil engineering experts, economic experts, and government experts) to define appropriate criteria, their weights, and preference functions. For determination of criteria weights, the AHP method has been used. The model has been tested on the problem of choosing the rehabilitation method for the Pavića Bridge in Croatia.

Post-Pareto optimality approach to enhance budget allocation process for bridge rehabilitation management

A variety of conflicting criteria in the form of objective functions exist in budget allocation optimisation problem for bridge rehabilitation projects. Budget allocation decision-making for such transportation assets is generally a combinatorial problem. The nature of the problem is a good reason for decision-makers to apply multi-objective optimisation techniques. However, manually choosing an acceptable solution from a set of optimal solutions is a time-consuming task, which would be avoided if the optimisation technique could be followed by a ranking method to obtain unique acceptable solution. To enhance the budget allocation process, this paper develops a posteriori approach to prioritise Pareto-Optimal (PO) solutions generated by genetic algorithm in order to identify a unique package of bridge rehabilitation activities. By identifying the most conventional objective functions for bridge rehabilitation based on technical and managerial criteria, a multi-objective knapsack problem is constructed. PO solutions will then be prioritised applying ‘Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution’. The feasibility of the study will be finally demonstrated through an illustrative example. The proposed ranking approach may facilitate the budget allocation optimisation process for bridge rehabilitation where one or a few acceptable solutions are demanded.

Existing Simple Steel Spans Made Continuous: A Retrofit Scheme for the I-476 Bridge over the Schuylkill River

The rehabilitation of the SR 476 Bridge over the Schuylkill River near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, converted existing steel multigirder simple spans into three- and four-span continuous units. Employing a design method typically used for construction of new simple-span-made-continuous (SSMC) steel girder bridges, it is believed to be the first bridge rehabilitation project in Pennsylvania to use such a scheme. The rehabilitation design upgraded load capacity of the girders to meet current LRFD code requirements. The SSMC design, coupled with other deck joint elimination techniques, was able to reduce the combined number of deck joints on the northbound and southbound structures from 25 to 8. With nearly all previous steel deterioration occurring at deck joints, this substantial reduction in deck joints will aid in extending the remaining life of the bridge. This paper will illustrate the construction methods employed for conversion of the bridge from multiple simple spans to continuous spans. The paper will also provide detailed insight into the many design requirements for this structural conversion, from substructure retrofits and sequential bearing replacements to superstructure continuity and full-depth concrete diaphragm details.

Proactive Productivity Management at Job Sites: Understanding Characteristics of Assumptions Made for Construction Processes during Planning Based on Case Studies and Interviews

AbstractDuring planning and execution of construction projects, project planners and managers make various assumptions with respect to execution of construction activities, availability of resources, suitability of construction methods, and status of preceding activities. However, not all of these assumptions are explicitly documented and verified before the construction activities start. Decisions made based on invalid assumptions can negatively impact the outcomes of construction projects, such as rework, activity delays, and extra material cost. To address the problems caused by invalid assumptions, this paper proposed to develop a formal approach to capture and represent assumptions and proactively verify assumptions to reduce the uncertainties associated with construction projects. To develop such a formal approach, an initial step is to identify characteristics of assumptions. The research team conducted two detailed case studies (i.e., a bridge rehabilitation project and a research lab renovation p...

Decision Making and Economic Analysis for Accelerated Bridge Construction

Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) is recognized as an important method to design and rehabilitate highway bridge structures. ABC is bridge construction that uses innovative planning, design, materials, and construction methods in a safe and cost-effective manner to reduce the onsite construction time that occurs when building new bridges or replacing and rehabilitating existing bridges. ABC uses both new technology and innovative project management techniques to reduce the impact of bridge construction projects on the public and to reduce bridge construction costs. In the early stages of a construction project, engineers need to assess whether elements of ABC are achievable and effective for a specific bridge location. Use of decision-making tools in early stages of planning is advocated as a mechanism for helping decision maker assess alternatives with more confidence and for preventing investment in alternatives that are more costly. In this study, a set of decision making tools, based on the Bridge Construction Index (BCI) were developed. This tool is prepared for transportation specialists and decision-makers to determine if ABC techniques are more effective than traditional construction for a given bridge replacement or rehabilitation project.

Chloride Penetration Resistance of a Ternary Blend Lightweight Concrete Bridge Deck

In 2010, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) launched a bridge rehabilitation project to rerate all truss bridges with gusset plate connections due to the federal mandate after the Minneapolis bridge collapse in 2005. One bridge that needed to be renovated was the Hurricane Bridge in Dekalb County, Tennessee. To provide a durable bridge deck and meet the latest highway loading specifications, TDOT used a Class L ternary (sand-lightweight ternary) mix instead of their standard Class D (normal weight nonternary) bridge deck mix. While placing a section of the deck, TDOT would cast cylinders to send to the University of Tennessee for rapid chloride penetration (RCP), surface resistivity (SR), and compressive strength testing. Previous RCP and SR testing of the TDOT Class D mix found that the mix provides poor to moderate chloride ion penetration resistance. Research reported herein supports the use of the TDOT Class L ternary mix as an alternative to the TDOT Class D mix in order to increase bridge deck durability. The results of the Class L ternary mix cylinder testing show a decrease in chloride ion penetration, an increase in surface resistivity, higher compressive strengths, and a higher correlation between SR and RCP than Class D cylinders.

Environmental Evaluation of Abrasive Blasting with Sand, Water, and Dry Ice

The objective of this case study was to perform an evaluation of the environmental eects of three surface preparation methods used in civil infrastructure: sand blasting, water jetting, and dry ice blasting. The study was based upon a bridge rehabilitation project in which surface preparation of the reinforced concrete pier caps was undertaken. The assessment considered four response variables: carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, fuel consumption, energy consumption, and project duration. The results indicated that for sand blasting and water jetting, CO2 emissions stemming from vehicular trac near the construction site was the primary fac- tor contributing to environmental detriment. However, the CO2 contribution from sublimation of the dry ice translated into 80% and 64% more CO2 than sand blasting and water jetting, respectively. Compared to sand blasting and water jetting, dry ice blasting yielded the shortest project duration and reduced fuel consumption by 7.6% and 13%, respectively.

Bearing Capacity of Beams Strengthened by Common Methods Considering Strain Lag Effect

A lot of bridge reinforcement and rehabilitation projects are been implementing throughout China and many countries in the world. However, some fundamental questions still remain unsettled, and this paper addressed one of them, which is the bearing capacity of strengthened beams. We analyzed the loading process of beams after strengthening with strain lag effect, and focused on several critical states. To validate our conclusions, we developed a non-linear FEM program, and compared the data yielded by program with those from reference. We found that for adequate reinforcement RC beams the influence of strain lag effect on the bearing capacity depends on the property of reinforcing material. The conclusion matched with experiment very well.

Unlooping the Loop

While watching the Big 12 men’s basketball semi-finals on television a few weeks ago, I was gratified to see clips of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, filled with people. Amid the busy streets and shiny, occupied buildings, I could just make out the illuminated guardrail panels on a series of bridge rehabilitation projects completed within the past five years.

Unlooping the Loop

While watching the Big 12 men’s basketball semi-finals on television a few weeks ago, I was gratified to see clips of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, filled with people. Amid the busy streets and shiny, occupied buildings, I could just make out the illuminated guardrail panels on a series of bridge rehabilitation projects completed within the past five years.

Field Performance of the Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Deck of a Truss Bridge

The MD 24 Bridge over Deer Creek in Harford County, Md., was one of the projects chosen by the Federal Highway Administration’s Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program for bridge deck replacement by fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. A thorough discussion is presented on Maryland State Highway Administration’s first bridge rehabilitation project utilizing a FRP deck. The discussion includes design details, installation procedure, construction methods and in situ load testing with a wireless monitoring system. The research team installed a monitoring system to record the effects of live loads on the bridge system, including truss members, steel stringers, and plate action of the FRP deck. Finite-element models were also used in this phase. Dynamic effects of the FRP system, composite action between steel stringers and the FRP deck as well as the effective width and distribution factors of stringers were obtained and compared with the AASHTO specifications. Recommendations are also offer...

Wisconsin’s Use of Full-Depth Precast Concrete Deck Panels Keeps Interstate 90 Open to Traffic

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is facing future demands for highway bridge deck replacements on heavily used portions of its interstate highway system, particularly in the Milwaukee area. Typical bridge rehabilitation projects cause safety concerns and disruptions to traffic, and bridge closures have an adverse impact on the regional economy. WisDOT is focusing on prefabricated bridge systems for its highway bridge rehabilitation projects. The University of Wisconsin-Madison worked with WisDOT and Alfred Benesch & Co. to develop and design a prefabricated, full-depth concrete deck system for a major highway where minimal disruption to traffic flow is a requirement. In this article, the authors describe the research proposals, teamwork, design challenges, and construction of an innovative bridge redecking and widening project on westbound Interstate 90 over Door Creek in Wisconsin. The unique advantages of this hybrid prestressed, post-tensioned deck panel system are the result of an innovative design that essentially ties all the precast concrete deck panels together to minimize cracking, uses a novel longitudinal joint and unique strand coupling across the joint, and minimizes traffic disruption in a rapid erection scheme.

Evaluation of Effective Width and Distribution Factors for GFRP Bridge Decks Supported on Steel Girders

Glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bridge deck systems offer an attractive alternative to concrete decks, particularly for bridge rehabilitation projects. Current design practice treats GFRP deck systems in a manner similar to concrete decks, but the results of this study indicate that this approach may lead to nonconservative bridge girder designs. Results from a number of in situ load tests of three steel girder bridges having the same GFRP deck system are used to determine the degree of composite action that may be developed and the transverse distribution of wheel loads that may be assumed for such structures. Results from this work indicate that appropriately conservative design values may be found by assuming no composite action between a GFRP deck and steel girder and using the lever rule to determine transverse load distribution. Additionally, when used to replace an existing concrete deck, the lighter GFRP deck will likely result in lower total stresses in the supporting girders, although, due to the decreased effective width and increased distribution factors, the live-load-induced stress range is likely to be increased. Thus, existing fatigue-prone details may become a concern and require additional attention in design.

A conceptual model of bridge service life

Service life is an important yet somewhat nebulous consideration in the planning of suspension bridge rehabilitation projects. While it is often thought of in terms of time to physical failure of the asset, bridge service life is also defined by non-physical factors such as changing traffic loads and alternate levels of evaluation. This paper develops a conceptual model that defines service life as a function of physical and non-physical factors, thus offering a fresh perspective from which to base a more rational discussion on heavy trucks and their impact on bridge service life. An illustrative example demonstrates how this model may be applied in practice at the project level. Finally, federal truck weight reform is a pressing issue in the USA, and this paper concludes with a discussion on the implications this model has for network level studies concerning the impact of truck weight reform on bridge service life.

Archeological Impact Evaluations and Surveys in the Texas Department of Transportation's Corpus Christi, Laredo, Pharr, and San Antonio Districts 2003-2005

This document constitutes the final report of work done by Prewitt and Associates, Inc. (PAI), under a contract from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to provide archeological services in four TxDOT districts—Corpus Christi, Laredo, Pharr, and San Antonio. Under this contract, PAI completed Impact Evaluations and Surveys to assist TxDOT in meeting the requirements of their Memorandum of Understanding with the Texas Historical Commission and a Programmatic Agreement between the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the Federal Highway Administration, the Texas Historical Commission, and TxDOT. The contract began on March 17, 2003, and the last work authorization was issued on February 17, 2005. During those two years, fieldwork was done under 33 work authorizations. The 33 work authorizations consisted of 53 Impact Evaluations, 33 Surveys, and 2 Surveys with Geoarcheological Evaluation. Combined, these work authorizations entailed efforts at 47 bridge replacements, 4 bridge rehabilitation projects, 2 locations where new bridges will be built, 20 road rehabilitation or widening projects (many also involving bridge replacements or upgrades), 1 interstate highway rest area replacement, 3 drainage improvement projects, 2 curve realignment projects, 3 projects involving construction of new roads, 1 project involving construction of a railroad grade separation, 1 pedestrian bridge construction project, 1 project involving construction of a water taxi landing, 1 project involving construction of a hike-and-bike trail, 1 project involving modification of a highway interchange, and 1 project involving documentation of an archeological site disturbed by placement of a buried utility line. During completion of these work authorizations, 26 newly discovered or previously recorded archeological sites were investigated, although in the case of 9 previously recorded sites, no archeological remains were observed in the areas that will be impacted by the proposed Transportation Activities. Three of the Impact Evaluations led to recommendations that survey could be needed before construction, in some cases depending on whether new right of way would be required. The other 50 Impact Evaluations resulted in recommendations that no survey be required before construction based on the limited potential for sites with good integrity. Thirteen of the Surveys investigated a total of 3 newly recorded and 12 previously recorded sites. Of these 15 sites, 1 was considered eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and designation as a State Archeological Landmark, and 1 was recommended as needing testing to assess eligibility. The other 33 Surveys either did not find any archeological sites, or they investigated sites that could be assessed as ineligible for National Register listing and State Archeological Landmark designation using the survey data. The records and artifacts generated by the project are curated at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory.