Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Kamal Tawfig and Primus Mtenga, co-advisors, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 15, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 87 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-61).

Box-girder bridges supported by single reinforced concrete (RC) columns are expected to sustain seismic shocks with minor structural damages in seismically active regions where transportation is substantially required for rescuing and evacuating tasks. Such viaducts are vulnerable to damage when they are subjected to strong ground motions and acceleration pulse records, especially when responding in a flexural mode or having relatively low core confinement. Using a nonlinear dynamic solver that applies the fibre element method, global and local damage curves are computed based on the dissipated energy under hysteretic curves and based on constitutive curves, respectively. The RC bridge with seismic isolation bearing is used as an alternative system to control the damage, and modelled using linkage elements between the substructure and super structure. It was found that seismic isolation can be controlled to dissipate partial seismic energy so that the RC column gains the least possible minor damage. Using a MatLab program, a fibre element nonlinear model was built using a simplified iterative process and simplified constitutive relations. The number of fibres and elements under the dynamic loading was found to be affecting the final results of the analysis. Using crack growth modelling based on fracture mechanics, the combined discrete element/finite element explicit-Elfen code was applied to investigate the crack growth in 3D dynamically loaded RC columns. Despite its excessive computational cost and time, this code provides reliable information about local damage in the RC column core. Earthquake records with the pulse acceleration phenomenon have a severe damage potential on the structure. The difference in damage intensities was detected by crack growth modelling for the same problem using different loading rates. Critically stressed zones can be investigated independently by using the relative response technique, in which responses from the numerically analysed structure are re-used as applied loads onto a small-scale crack model for the critical member. Two general conclusions can be obtained; bridges with single RC columns designed by the demand/capacity criterion could suffer severe damage and possible collapse when subjected to strong ground motions. Secondly; hysteresis-based methods provide a global damage evaluation based on strength and ductility only regardless of the damage growth inside the concrete core and the buckling of bars, which could lead to progressive collapse.

As pontes extradorso surgiram na última década do Século XX, principalmente pelo extraordinário desenvolvimento tecnológico do concreto protendido, que possibilitou uma solução simples e econômica para a construção de pontes. A Odawara Blueway Bridge, construída em 1995 no Japão, foi a primeira ponte extradorso do mundo. Depois dessa obra, dezenas de outras pontes foram construídas com esse sistema estrutural, principalmente na Ásia, comprovando sua viabilidade técnica e econômica. Todavia, não se tem conhecimento de algum estudo que mostre em que faixa de extensão de vãos as superestruturas de pontes extradorso são economicamente vantajosas em relação a outros sistemas estruturais. Neste trabalho foi realizada uma investigação visando um estudo comparativo entre as superestruturas de pontes em viga reta de concreto protendido e as pontes extradorso, ambas construídas pelo método dos balanços progressivos. Na investigação realizada verificou-se que as pontes extradorso são economicamente competitivas com a ponte em viga reta de concreto protendido, principalmente na faixa de vãos entre 100 e 200 metros. / The extradosed bridges had appeared in the last decade of XX Century, mainly because the extraordinary technological development of the prestressed concrete made possible a simple and economic solution for the construction of bridges. The Odawara Blueway Bridge, built in 1995 in Japan, was the world\'s first extradosed bridge. After that, dozens of other bridges were built with the same structural type, most in Asia, proving it\'s economic and technique advantages. However, there is no knowledge of any study that show on witch span lengths the extradosed bridges are economically advantageous in comparison with others structural types. This work intended to do this study, comparing the superstructures of conventional prestressed concrete bridges and extradosed bridges, both built with de balanced cantilever method. On this investigation confirms that extradosed bridges are economically competitive with prestressed concrete bridges, mainly with span lengths between 100 and 200 meters.

As estruturas de concreto, especialmente as pontes de concreto, estão sujeitas a um conjunto de ações que leva ao seu envelhecimento devido aos processos de deterioração, muitas vezes deixando de responder às exigências para as quais foram projetadas. Tal situação, em muitos casos, é agravada pela falta de conhecimento dos processos e mecanismos de degradação assim como o uso de técnicas tradicionais para inspeção de estruturas, estas muitas vezes se mostram limitadas quando são aplicadas isoladamente. Este trabalho mostra uma comparação entre a inspeção visual (usada há décadas) e a aplicação de métodos de ensaios não destrutivos e semi-destrutivos na avaliação da condição estrutural atual de pontes. Enquanto a inspeção visual mostra uma condição qualitativa, os métodos de ensaios não destrutivos são quantitativos e apresentam o potencial de determinar os danos no interior da estrutura que não são visíveis a olho nu. Portanto, visando alertar para o problema da degradação das pontes, busca-se integrar a inspeção visual com a avaliação através do uso de métodos de ensaio. Assim, neste trabalho é feito um estudo de caso da ponte sobre o rio Jaguari. Este estudo visa determinar a condição atual da estrutura através de ensaios não destrutivos e semi-destrutivos, estabelecendo uma correlação entre os resultados destes ensaios e a avaliação da inspeção visual. Dessa forma, procura-se apresentar uma alternativa na avaliação de pontes de concreto. / Concrete structures, particularly concrete bridges, are subjected to a set of actions that leads to aging due to the processes of deterioration, and many times these structures do not respond to the demands for which they have been designed. This situation, in many cases, is exacerbated by lack of knowledge of processes and mechanisms of degradation and by the use of traditional techniques for inspection of structures, these techniques are limited when applied alone. This work shows a comparison between the visual inspection (used for decades) and the application of nondestructive testing methods and semi-destructive on the evaluation of current structural condition of bridges. While visual inspection shows a qualitative condition, the methods of nondestructive testing are quantitative and have the potential to determine the damage inside the structure that are not visible with a simple view. Therefore, in order to draw attention to the problem of deterioration of bridges, we seek to integrate the visual inspection with the assessment through the use of test methods. Thus, in this work a case study of the bridge about the river Jaguari is done. This study aims at determining the current condition of the structure through nondestructive and semi-destructive methods, establishing a correlation between the results of these tests and the evaluation of visual inspection. We seek to present an alternative in the assessment of concrete bridges.

O aumento nos limites de pesos estabelecidos pela legislação brasileira e o surgimento de novas combinações de veículos de carga nos últimos anos tornam necessária a verificação da segurança estrutural das pontes quando submetidas ao tráfego real. Este trabalho verifica o desempenho das obras de arte sob jurisdição do DER-SP através do índice de confiabilidade 'beta' e obtém limites para o peso de caminhões de modo a não comprometer sua integridade estrutural. São consideradas as superestruturas das pontes em concreto armado ou protendido, classes 36 e 45. Verifica-se o estado limite último nas seções transversais mais solicitadas por momento fletor positivo e negativo. No caso de pontes em concreto protendido, acrescenta-se o estado limite de formação de fissuras. Para a representação do tráfego real, é desenvolvido um modelo de carregamento móvel com base em pesagens de caminhões efetuadas em rodovias do estado de São Paulo. Admite-se a presença simultânea de veículos sobre a ponte e diferentes relações entre seus pesos. Os parâmetros estatísticos da resistência são determinados através da técnica de Monte Carlo. Apresenta-se os limites de peso em forma de equações, denominadas ECPLs (equações comprimento-peso limite), aplicáveis a quaisquer grupo de eixos consecutivos. Os resultados indicam restrições à circulação de algumas composições, especialmente ao rodotrem de 740 kN e 19,80 metros de comprimento. Considerando-se apenas o estado limite de serviço, as obras de arte classe 45 apresentam menores limites de peso devido à ponderação de ações durante o projeto / The increase in gross weight limits allowed by Brazilian legislation and the appearance of new truck configurations in last years require the assessment of bridges structural safety when submitted to real traffic. This thesis verifies the performance of the bridges under DER-SP jurisdiction using the reliability index 'beta' and obtains truck weight limits in order to guarantee its structural integrity. The superstructure of reinforced and prestressed concrete bridges, classes 36 and 45, is considered. The ultimate limit state is verified in cross sections submitted to critical positive and negative bending moments. In case of prestressed bridges, the tension limit state in concrete is added. To represent the real traffic, a live load model is developed based on weighting data collected from stations located at highways of the state of Sao Paulo. Multiple presence of vehicles over the bridge and different relations between weights are admitted. The statistical parameters of resistance are determined using the Monte Carlo technique. The gross weight limits are presented in the form of equations, known as bridge formulas, to be applied on any group of two or more consecutive axles. The results indicate restrictions to the traffic of some vehicles, especially the 740 kN and 19,80 meters length roadtrain. Considering only the serviceability limit state, bridges class 45 exhibit lower weight limits due to the load factors recommended by the code during design

This dissertation presents methodologies to develop bridge condition deterioration models which accounts for non-stationarity in the deterioration process with applications to Florida concrete and timber bridges. A critical and comprehensive review of bridge deterioration modeling approaches is presented with illustrative examples based on regression, stochastic Markov-chain, mechanistic and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models. This study also develops a framework for relating the qualitative National Bridge Inventory (NBI) condition ratings with normalized resistance of the concrete bridge component with application to concrete bridge T-beams to reduce the subjectivity of the NBI condition rating. A systematic approach for the prioritization of bridges for inspection is developed using the multivariate regression modeling technique, and forecasting models are developed based on multiple relevant variables for both concrete bridge superstructure and substructure components. This dissertation also develops an approach for risk and reliability assessments of concrete and timber bridges based on non-parametric deterioration modeling techniques such as average time-in condition rating (ATICR) and Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival (reliability) models, for probabilistic prediction of bridge safety while accounting for the partial information from the incomplete bridge condition observations. This study develops relative deterioration rates based on the ATICR and illustrates the time-dependent probability of deterioration of the concrete and timber bridge components based on K-M estimates. Further, the relationship of explanatory variables to the survival time is discussed and estimates are made for the median survival years for reinforced concrete solid slab decks. This dissertation presents the code developed in R for multivariate regression analysis and data-driven reliability analysis. Future research studies in bridge deterioration modeling are also presented. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The global understanding that natural resources and non renewable energy sources are not inexhaustible has been growing lately together with the increase of conscientiousness on the consequences that our demanding way of life has on the environment. Global warming, ozone layer depletion, the greenhouse effect or the acid rain, are some of these consequences, which may reach catastrophic levels if nothing is done to emend the actual situation. Lately, society is beginning to see sustainability not only as a needed requirement but as a distinctive value which has to be pursued by the different areas of society involved and responsible for a sustainable development such as public administration and companies, engineers and researchers. As a fundamental part of society, infrastructures have utmost importance in sustainable development. Even more when it comes to rail transport infrastructure, given the important role of rail transport in the development of a sustainable society. That is why engineers should make an effort to use all the tools available to choose the best structural design, which not only meets structural requirements, but has also a good performance for the environment. To do so, engineers must focus on using renewable sources or energy and materials, increasing the life of the existing infrastructures, making them more durable. When it comes to railway bridges, it is preferable to reuse and adapt existing structures than tear them down to build new ones. In this line, environmental assessment methodologies provide an incredibly valuable tool for help decision-makers and engineers to identify and select the best alternative design regarding environmental issues. Therefore, it is important to count on a common basis and established criteria together with a systematic methodology in order to obtain reliable results to compare alternatives and make the right decisions. However, nowadays, there exists very little guidance to perform this kind of analysis, and an extensive variety of databases and methodologies non standardized, which leads to uncertainties when it comes to evaluate and compare the obtained results. This thesis means to be a good guide for engineers, when performing a Life Cycle Assessment of a railway bridge, and to become a useful tool to compare several alternatives to identify the best option relating the environmental burdens involved. With this purpose, in order to know the state of the art of LCA methodology, it has been studied a wide range of existing literature and previous studies performed to analyze bridges and building materials. Finally, it has been developed an own methodology based on all the research done before, and implemented in an Excel application program based on Visual Basic macros, which means to be easy to use with a simple user interface, and to provide reliable results. The application is useful for assessing, repair or improving existing bridges, where the amounts of materials and energy are known, but can also be helpful in the design phase to compare different alternatives. It also allows using different weighting methodologies according to several reference sources depending on the case of study. The application is tested by carrying out a Life Cycle Assessment of a Spanish railway bridge located in the city center of Vitoria-Gasteiz, evaluating the different structures that conform the bridge system thorough all the stages of its life cycle identifying the most contributive parameters to the environmental impacts. The study was carried out over a 100 year time horizon. In the case of performing the LCA of this particular bridge, the contribution of the whole bridge is taken into consideration. When comparing two different bridges, the application has the option to compare them in the same basis, dividing by length and width of the bridge, which is a helpful tool if both bridges are not the same size. All stages of the life cycle were considered: the material stage, construction, the use and maintenance stage, and the end of life. The material stage includes the raw material extraction, production and distribution. The construction stage accounts the diesel, electricity and water consumption during construction activities. The use and maintenance stage covers the reparation and replacing operations. And the end of life covers several scenarios. In this case of study, in order not to interrupt the rail traffic, the bridge was constructed parallel to its final location, and then moved into the right place with hydraulic jacks. This leads to an important auxiliary structure with its own foundations, which has a significant contribution to the overall environmental impact. The scenario chosen for the end of life was based on similar actuation in other constructions in the proximities of the bridge, as the bridge is already in use. These assumptions were to recycle 70 % of the concrete and 90 % of the steel; all the wood used for formwork was disposed as landfill. The results obtained, weighted according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, shows that the main contributor to the environmental impacts is the material phase, with the 64 % of the total weighted results with concrete and steel production as principal factors, followed by timber production. These processes account great amounts of CO 2emissions, which makes essential to focus on reducing the impact of the material processes by optimizing the processes but mainly by reusing materials from other constructions as much as it may be possible. The maintenance activities have some importance due to the frequency of the track replacement, assumed to be once every 25 years. While construction does not imply great burdens for the environment, the end of life causes the 33 % of the overall bridge impact. This is due to the timber formwork disposal as landfill and to a lesser extent because of the recycling of the steel. The timber disposal increases widely the eutrophication effect, and will be easy to be reused in further constructions. Regarding the different parts of the bridge structure, the auxiliary structure has an important contribution with the 61 % of the overall weighted impact. As it is a concrete bridge, both the substructure and superstructure has similar contribution. The substructure has a slightly higher impact with the 21 % and the superstructure the 15 %. Rail structure and transport have very little contribution.

Note:

The highway network in the United States, specifically reinforced concrete bridges, is deteriorating at a rapid rate. It is known that chloride-induced corrosion of the reinforcing steel is one of the major causes of the deterioration of concrete bridge decks. Numerous bridge deck protection and overlay systems have been developed to reduce the deterioration rate caused by chloride-induced corrosion. This study investigated the service life of untreated concrete bridge decks and four bridge deck overlay systems: low-slump-dense concrete (LSDC), latex-modified concrete (LMC), micro-silica concrete (MSC), and preformed membranes with hot-mix asphalt overlays (PM-HMA). The research plan consisted of organizing and analyzing data obtained in a 1991 field survey of 52 bridges from various locations in the nation. The field survey was conducted to gather information on existing conditions of untreated and rehabilitated bridge decks. Corrosion measurements were taken to assess the performance of each technique. Statistical models that predict the percent of deterioration on a bridge deck and the corrosion rate for each technique were developed from the field survey data. The components of a deterioration model were combined to define the service life for each bridge deck overlay system and for untreated concrete bridge decks. Other service life estimates for untreated bridge decks and bridge deck overlay systems were also compared. Based on the statistical analysis and service life comparisons, a service life estimate was recommended for predicting the service life for three of the bridge deck overlay systems. / Master of Science