Principal Investigator(s):
Robert Dexter, Former University Researcher, Civil, Environmental and Geo-Engineering
Project summary:
Increased vehicle loads on steel bridges may cause a reduction in the life due to fatigue of critical details. Prestressed bridge girders may also be affected by fatigue, but the primary concern is possible strand corrosion if the increased vehicle loads cause flexural cracking. Other potential problems for all types of bridges include the effects of increased impact damage that may cause earlier deterioration of the bridge deck. A combined analytical and experimental study is proposed to investigate the effect of increased vehicle loads on steel and prestressed bridges and decks. For steel bridges, a screening method to estimate the remaining life of the superstructure in terms of the gross vehicle weight (GVW) and the average daily truck traffic (ADTT) will be developed.