Bridge Deck Research Articles

Study on the rational construction methods and mechanical properties of composite beams in transverse negative bending moment zones

Normal concrete (NC) bridge deck panels are transversely joined to steel beams at the trusses, serving as a transitional segment between the concrete bridge deck panels and trusses, typically using ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC). Positioned on both lateral sides along the bridge axis of the NC deck panels, these transverse joints primarily endure tensile forces in negative bending moment areas. Owing to the stiffness disparity between the steel beams and concrete, these transverse joints experience complex stresses. In this study, the mechanical behavior of these transverse joints under negative bending moments was examined for six shear connector layouts and two key-wet joint shapes. Static tests provided crucial data, including the separation distances between the UHPC and steel beams, ultimate load-bearing capacities, crack patterns in the UHPC, mechanical performance of the key-wet joints, and load-deflection curves. The experimental results were compared with those from finite element simulations, and the design of the composite beam was optimized. The results demonstrated that the mechanical properties of the transverse joints were significantly influenced by the orientation of the stud connectors and perfobond Leisten (PBL) shear connectors. The optimal design had stud connectors at the bottom and top surfaces, PBL shear connectors, trapezoidal key-wet joints, and no side stud connectors. This design resulted in minimal deflection, narrower key-wet joint widths, reduced structural strain, fewer and smaller concrete cracks, and minimal separation between the UHPC and steel top and side plates, which facilitates easier construction.

Dynamic Response of Suspension Bridges Due to Coupling Between Buffeting and Aeroelastic Flutter

The effects of turbulent winds on suspension bridges are considerable, significantly influencing the bridge's floating instability and, as a result, its safety and performance. Predicting the coupled response of buffeting and flutter in suspension bridges is an advanced area of structural and aeroelastic engineering. Buffeting and flutter are not independent phenomena; buffeting, by exciting specific natural frequencies of the bridge, can contribute to the onset of flutter. Furthermore, once flutter is triggered, it alters the dynamics of the bridge, potentially amplifying the effects of buffeting. The interaction between these two phenomena can lead to complex dynamic responses that are challenging to predict through separate analyses. This paper explores this phenomenon in the time domain, requiring the expression of aerodynamic forces via convolution integrals, which incorporate the aerodynamic impulse function, structural motions, and wind fluctuations. We analyzed the aerodynamic response of the old Tacoma Bridge in the USA, situated on complex terrain and subjected to turbulent winds. A formulation that accounts for the lateral, vertical, and torsional motions of the bridge deck structure was used. The Beta-Newmark numerical algorithm was employed to integrate the bridge’s time response. Subsequently, parametric studies were conducted to further elucidate the concepts of buffeting-flutter coupling in long-span suspension bridges, aiming to assist designers in developing effective control protocols.

Degree of corrosion and other deterioration effects in highway bridge deck component using non-destructive self potential and vibration testing: case study from SW Nigeria

Recently, the corrosion of steel reinforcement and high vibration intensity have become a major problem in highway bridge stability analysis, and structures that involved reinforcing steel. Therefore, based on suspected human perception, the Ogbese highway bridge stability was investigated using non-destructive half-cell method and vibration measurement. The half-cell measurement was taken at 1 × 1 m grid using Cu/CuSO4 half-cell standard reference electrode, while vibration measurement was taken using vibration meter. The meter is capable of switching acceleration measurement between high (1–4 kHz) and low frequency (10 Hz to 1 kHz) with measurement accuracy of ± 10. The SP result showed that areas with Ecorr greater than −200 mV is 90.8%, Ecorr of −350 mV ≤ Ecorr ≤ −200 mV accounts for 8.5%, and areas with Ecorr less than −350 represents 0.7%. Consequently, the bridge deck is still safe at present. The anomalous zones are represented in each of the bridge span, and mostly within the location of the piers. This implies that there are contributions from the piers/piles reinforcements’ activity. The bridge is also characterized by varying vibration intensity, very high at the northeastern part in terms of acceleration, and displacement than at the southwestern, and middle parts. This is also supported by comparative wide range of values obtained at northeastern part—acceleration, and displacement for the vibration intensities. However, the increasing corrosion activity presently going on may undermine its stability in the long run. Hence a need for thorough maintenance and assessment from time to time.

Research on calculation of transverse bending moment of deck of box girder with long-span and long cantilever

To investigate the reasonable calculation value of the transverse design bending moment of a long-span cantilever box girder bridge deck under vehicle load, the plate beam model and beam element frame model were established according to the concept of load effective distribution width in the Chinese highway specifications. The local finite element model and full bridge model of a long-cantilever plate were established using the plate-shell element. The practical calculation formula and finite element analysis of the transverse bending moment of a bridge deck were studied. The results showed that the transverse bending moment of the long-cantilever plate calculated using Baider Bahkt formula slightly deviated from the calculated value of the plate-shell element, and the deviation between the calculated values of Baider Bahkt formula and Sawko formula was 7.72%. Baider Bahkt formula is more accurate than Sawko formula, which is recommended by the Chinese highway specifications.

Bending performance and design of reinforced concrete ribbed bridge deck slabs retrofitted with steel-plate reinforcement

ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess the bending performance and design of reinforced concrete ribbed bridge deck slabs with steel-plate reinforcement. Two reference members and three steel-plate reinforcements were designed for four-point bending loading tests, numerical simulations, and theoretical analyses. Steel-plate reinforcement improves the flexural load bearing capacity and stiffness of the bridge deck slab and effectively controls crack development, compared to old bridge reconstruction requirements. The bridge deck is best stressed when the bolt (M12 mm × 200 mm) spacing is 0.8 times the slab thickness. To prevent brittle damage to the bridge deck, a steel plate with a width of 160 mm and thickness of 10 mm should be used for strengthening. This aligns with engineering practice whereby the bolt shear capacity is used to assess the effectiveness of steel-plate reinforcement in bridge deck slabs. Bolt shear arrangement based on the slip effect and a sufficient increase in the diameter of the bolts at both ends of the steel plate are more appropriate for the bending effect of the bridge deck structure. The results provide a reference for the design of deck slab reinforcement for assembled ribbed bridges.

Shear properties of jointed dual-pylon of the cable-stayed bridge with separated unequal-width decks under asymmetric load

The significant load disparity between the two decks of a cable-stayed bridge with separated unequal-width decks results in complex asymmetric static effects in the jointed dual-pylon. To investigate the structural behaviour and reliability of the jointed dual-pylon under asymmetric loads, a 1:30 scaled model test and numerical simulation were conducted based on the world's first road-railway same-level cable-stayed bridge with jointed pylons. The test results indicate when the unbalanced horizontal force of the jointed dual-pylon structure reaches its maximum during the service phase, the stress at the dual-pylon connectivity node remains relatively low, indicating good shear resistance of the dual-pylon connectivity node. Structural failure occurs when the load reaches 1.82 times the maximum shear stress at the tower column merging section, and the railway beam will experience severe cracking and stiffness degradation, ultimately leading to loss of bearing capacity. The calculation results further reveal that under the combined action of dead load, full-span moving load, and lateral wind load, the minimum calculated nonlinear stability coefficient of the dual-pylon connectivity node is 1.65. Moving load and longitudinal wind load have minimal impact on the nonlinear stability coefficient, and the dead load and lateral wind load primarily govern the failure of the dual-pylon connectivity node.

Evaluation of Internally Cured Concrete for Paving Applications

This paper evaluates the use of Internally Cured Concrete (ICC) on Interstates, residential, industrial and other concrete pavement projects from the perspective of design, construction, longevity, curling, durability and life cycle cost. ICC is a concrete mixture in which a portion of the intermediate, and/or fine aggregates (for example, 30 percent of sand) is replaced with similar sized prewetted lightweight aggregate (LWA). Internal curing (IC) is a means to provide hydrating concrete adequate moisture from within the mixture (slab) to replace water lost due to chemical shrinkage. IC may also restore, at least partially, the moisture that escapes through evaporation. IC, which naturally takes place in LWA concrete, has been designed into conventional concrete to release moisture well after placement. ICC has also demonstrated good constructability on field. ICC has shown good durability results in reducing early age shrinkage and associated plastic shrinkage cracking as well as other random cracking on several bridge decks and a few concrete pavement projects. ICC has also demonstrated some benefits in material properties favorably impacting pavement performance that are presented in this paper.

Experimental Study on Flexural Behaviour of Prefabricated Steel-Concrete Composite I-Beams Under Negative Bending Moment: Comparative Study.

The issues of numerous steel beam components and the tendency for deck cracking under negative bending moment zones have long been challenges faced by traditional composite I-beams with flat steel webs. This study introduces an optimized approach by modifying the structural design and material selection, specifically substituting flat steel webs with corrugated steel webs and using ultra-high-performance concrete for the deck in the negative bending moment zone. Three sets of model tests were conducted to compare and investigate the influence of deck material and web forms on the bending and crack resistance of steel-concrete composite I-beams under a negative bending moment zone. The findings indicate that, compared to a conventional steel-normal concrete composite I-beam, incorporating ultra-high performance concrete into the negative bending zone enhances the cracking load by 98%, resulting in finer and denser cracks, and improves the ultimate bearing capacity by approximately 10%. In comparison to the composite I-beam with flat steel webs, the longitudinal stiffness of the composite I-beam with corrugated steel webs is smaller, which can further enhance the bridge deck's resistance to cracking in the negative bending moment zone, and maximize the steel-strengthening effect of the lower flange of the steel I-beam. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended to use steel ultra-high-performance concrete composite I-beams with corrugated steel webs due to their superior crack resistance, bending strength, and efficient material utilization.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Welding Residual Stress of U-Rib Joints in Orthotropic Steel Bridge Decks

The residual stresses at U-rib joints have a significant adverse impact on the structure. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research and analysis on their residual stresses. Based on experimental testing and thermal elastic-plastic finite element analysis (FEA), this study investigates the residual stress (RS) of a U-rib joint using gas metal arc welding in an orthotropic steel bridge deck (OSBD). X-ray diffraction (XRD) was adopted to measure the RS of the U-rib welds, and the measurement results were utilized to verify the FEA. The effects of the weld root gap, weld penetration, and weld groove angle on the RS of U-rib welds were investigated by using FEA. The weld root gap had minor effect on the RS of the U-rib welds. With an increase in weld penetration, the peak values of the transverse tensile RS at both the deck plate and the U-rib weld toes increased. Additionally, an enlargement of the groove angle also resulted in a notable increase in the transverse tensile RS peak at the deck plate weld toe.

Ultra Thin Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement Development in South Africa

Ultra thin continuously reinforced concrete pavements (UTCRCP), in literature also referred to as Ultra Thin Heavy Reinforced High Performance Concrete (UTHRHPC), have been used in Europe successfully as a rehabilitation measure on steel bridge decks and reported on at the 5th International CROW workshop in Istanbul (2004). This concept has been explored further in South Africa for use as a road strengthening measure by constructing experimental sections of 50 mm UTCRCP directly on top of both natural gravel and cement-treated natural materials. During the experiment the composition of the UTCRCP layer was varied in terms of mix design, steel fibre type and content, reinforcing steel mesh diameter and spacing. To date a total of 10 experimental sections have been tested using the Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) and rendered structural lives that varied from 5 million to 90 million equivalent standard (80 kN) axles on medium to weak support structure. The results obtained were then evaluated through 3D-finite element modelling and the design was refined using laboratory tests. The refined UTCRCP design was then subjected to further HVS testing. The paper discusses the above process in more detail.

Quantifying Anisotropic Properties of Old–New Concrete Interfaces Using X-Ray Computed Tomography and Homogenization

The interface between old and new concrete is a critical component in many construction practices, including concrete pavements, bridge decks, hydraulic dams, and buildings undergoing rehabilitation. Despite various treatments to enhance bonding, this interface often remains a weak layer that compromises overall structural performance. Traditional design methods typically oversimplify the interface as a homogeneous or empirically adjusted factor, resulting in significant uncertainties. This paper introduces a novel framework for quantifying the anisotropic properties of old–new concrete interfaces using X-ray computed tomography (CT) and finite element-based numerical homogenization. The elastic coefficient matrix reveals that specimens away from the interface exhibit higher values in both normal and shear directions, with normal direction values averaging 33.15% higher and shear direction values 39.96% higher than those at the interface. A total of 10 sampling units along the interface were collected and analyzed to identify the “weakest vectors” in normal and shear directions. The “weakest vectors” at the interface show consistent orientations with an average cosine similarity of 0.62, compared with an average cosine similarity of 0.23 at the non-interface, which demonstrates directional features. Conversely, the result of average cosine similarity at the interface shows randomness that originates from the anisotropy of materials. The average angle between normal and shear stresses was found to be 88.64°, indicating a predominantly orthogonal relationship, though local stress distributions introduced slight deviations. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the anisotropic properties of old–new concrete interfaces to improve design and rehabilitation practices in concrete and structural engineering.

Optimizing UHPC Layers to Improve Punching Shear Performance in Concrete Slabs

Flat slabs supported by columns without beams are widely used in construction owing to their economy and efficiency. However, brittle punching shear failure at slab–column connections can cause progressive collapse. UHPC has a higher tensile strength than NSC and, when appropriately reinforced with steel fibers, exhibits strain hardening after initial cracking. These properties make Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) ideal for durable, thin, low-cost bridge decking and heavily loaded elements and an excellent choice for improving slab–column connections that have experienced punched shear failure. This study explores the impact of UHPC layers on the punching shear behavior of reinforced concrete slabs. Sixteen slab specimens were tested with variations in UHPC layer thickness, placement, and column shape. Results demonstrate that incorporating UHPC layers significantly enhances punching shear resistance, increasing ultimate load capacity by 27–91% compared to reference specimens. Notably, thicker UHPC layers (75 mm) and bottom-placed layers exhibited superior performance in terms of ductility and toughness. Square columns outperformed circular ones in resisting punching shear. Additionally, thicker layers reduced initial stiffness, while debonding issues in 25 mm layers adversely affected structural performance. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing UHPC configurations to improve the punching shear resistance of concrete slabs, offering promising solutions for high-load structures in modern construction.

Performance of Orthotropic Steel Plate under Combined Fire Load and Axial Compression

The orthotropic steel plate systems have been used widely in decks of long span bridges because of their large capacity and economic advantages. Early experimental and analytical research on orthotropic steel plate systems has mainly focused on their behaviors during ambient conditions. This paper presents a detailed investigation on the axial capacity of the orthotropic steel plates under fire using a sequential thermal stress analysis framework. Temperature-dependent stress-strain relationship and thermal properties of steel have been taken into consideration in the finite element modeling. Different models and parameters such as fire model, material model, geometric imperfection, residual stress and rib wall thickness have been discussed, and their effects on the axial strength of the plate have been studied and compared. Simulation results indicate that fire has significant deteriorating effects on the plate’s axial capacity. Conventional simple fire models which assume uniform surface fire loads don’t represent the real fire scenarios, and tend to overestimate the axial capacity of the plate compared that during realistic fire scenarios. Initial imperfection and residual stress in the orthotropic steel plate has negligible effect on the axial capacity of the orthotropic steel plate system under fire conditions. Increasing the thickness of rib wall could improve the fire resistance of the plate.

Investigation of the field aging behavior and gradient characteristics of asphalt pavement of cement bridge deck

Investigation of the field aging behavior and gradient characteristics of asphalt pavement of cement bridge deck

Nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete shells and the compressive membrane action on bridge deck slabs

Nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete shells and the compressive membrane action on bridge deck slabs

Structural behavior of engineered cementitious composite substrate slab overlays for bridge deck and pavement applications

Structural behavior of engineered cementitious composite substrate slab overlays for bridge deck and pavement applications

Study on Dynamic Behaviors of the Cable-Cross-Tie System Considering the Vibration of the Bridge Deck

Study on Dynamic Behaviors of the Cable-Cross-Tie System Considering the Vibration of the Bridge Deck

Optimized Lightweight Edge Computing Platform for UAV-Assisted Detection of Concrete Deterioration beneath Bridge Decks

Optimized Lightweight Edge Computing Platform for UAV-Assisted Detection of Concrete Deterioration beneath Bridge Decks

Critical response analysis of asphalt pavement on concrete curved ramp bridge deck considering tire-bridge interaction

ABSTRACT This study developed a full-scale concrete curved ramp bridge deck finite element (FE) model, which considered the effect of tire-bridge interaction. In this full-scale FE model, an inflated tire model was developed to simulate the rolling tire load. The tire-bridge interaction equations were established based on the different interaction modes of the driving and driven wheels with the deck pavement. The effects of travel speed, curvature radius and load position on the critical response of bridge deck pavement was analysed. The results indicated that the deck pavement above the mid-span and flange cantilever panel exhibited greater critical tensile stress and strain values; whereas the bearing end diaphragm and the flange longitudinal diaphragm contributed the maximum critical shear stress. In the vertical depth direction, the damage induced by the traffic load mainly initiated at the deck pavement surface, and shear damage was more prone to occur between the layers of different paving materials. The reduced curvature radius and increased travel speed both promoted the appearance of unbalanced damage in the inner and outer tire loading zones. Besides, the smaller curvature radii and higher travel speeds would result in more severe local damage of deck pavement.

Long-term rutting prediction of gussasphalt steel bridge deck pavement based on comprehensive finite element modelling

ABSTRACT Gussasphalt is widely used for steel bridge deck pavements, but it is prone to rutting during the operational stage. This paper proposes a finite element-based method for predicting rutting in gussasphalt steel bridge deck pavements. Based on the Nanjing Yangtze River Fourth Bridge project, asphalt mixture specimens were prepared and tested in the laboratory. The viscoelastic-plastic constitutive model was fitted via dynamic modulus test and uniaxial repeated loading creep test results. Wheel track tests were conducted to validate the numerical model. The temperature gradient was obtained using actual environmental data and validated using actual data from buried thermocouples. Based on the equivalent conversion and simplification of traffic loads, the permanent deformation of the pavement layer was calculated using both the viscoelastic-plastic constitutive model and the time-hardening creep constitutive model. The viscoelastic-plastic constitutive model yields an average relative error of 25% and an absolute error of 0.57 mm, while the time-hardening creep constitutive model shows an average relative error of 40% and an absolute error of 1 mm. The results indicate that the viscoelastic-plastic constitutive model can more accurately predict the long-term rutting of the steel bridge deck pavement.