An experimental and analytical study was conducted on a BT-63 prestressed concrete girder to investigate the thermal effects on the girder. A 2D finite element heat transfer analysis model was then developed which accounted for heat conduction, convection, radiation, and irradiation. The solar radiation was predicted using the location and geometry of the girder, variations in the solar position, and the shadow from the top flange on other girder surfaces. The girder temperatures obtained from the 2D heat transfer analysis matched well with the measurements. Using the temperatures from the 2D heat transfer analysis, a 3D solid finite element analysis was performed assuming the temperatures constant along the length of the girder. The maximum vertical displacement due to measured environmental conditions was found to be 0.29 inches and the maximum lateral displacement was found to be 0.57 inches. Using the proposed numerical approach, extremes in thermal effects including seasonal variations and bridge orientations were investigated around the United States to propose vertical and transverse thermal gradients which could then be used in the design of I-shaped prestressed concrete bridge girders. A simple beam model was developed to calculate the vertical and lateral thermal deformations which were shown to be within 6% of the 3D finite element analyses results. Finally, equations were developed to predict the maximum thermal vertical and lateral displacements for four AASHTO-PCI standard girders. To analyze the combined effects of thermal response, initial sweep, and bearing support slope on a 100-foot long BT-63 prestressed concrete girder, a 3D finite element sequential analysis procedure was developed which accounted for the changes in the geometry and stress state of the girder in each construction stage. The final construction stage then exposed the girder to thermal effects and performed a geometric nonlinear analysis which also considered the nonlinear behavior of the elastomeric bearing pads. This solution detected an instability under the following conditions: support slope of 5¡Æ and initial sweep of 4.5 inches.

[pt] Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta computacional gráfico-interativa para a verificação de vigas de concreto protendido com pós-tração aderente ao estado limite de serviço, de acordo com a norma brasileira NBR 6118:2014. A ferramenta é uma extensão (addin) para o Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional , que serve como plataforma de modelagem estrutural. A partir de dados fornecidos pelo usuário através de uma interface gráfica, o programa desenvolvido calcula todas as perdas de protensão que ocorrem ao longo da vida-útil da estrutura, assim como os carregamentos equivalentes à protensão durante este período. O trabalho apresenta os métodos de cálculo tradicionais das perdas imediatas e diferidas, obtidos da NBR 6118, e as modificações que tiveram que ser feitas para permitir um cálculo incremental. Exemplos de utilização do programa e dos cálculos necessários também são apresentados e comprovam, pelos bons resultados obtidos, o acerto na escolha da metodologia escolhida. Como resultado, a ferramenta apresenta duas saídas: uma planilha contendo os esforços e as tensões atuantes na viga ao longo de sua vida-útil e verificações destes valores em relação aos limites estabelecidos para o estado limite de serviço; e o modelo estrutural no Robot apresenta os carregamentos equivalentes da protensão. O usuário pode então adotar estes carregamentos em demais cálculos da estrutura, enquanto a planilha pode ser utilizada para verificar com facilidade se a protensão atende às condições de serviço. / [en] This work presents the development of an interactive graphics computational tool for the verification of prestressed concrete beams with posttensioned bonded tendons to the serviceability limit state stress check according to the Brazilian code NBR 6118:2014. The tool is an add-in for Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professionalr, which serves as a structural modeling platform. With data supplied by the user through a graphics user interface, the program here developed calculates all relevant prestress losses that occur throughout the structure s life-cycle, along with the prestressing s equivalent loads during this period. The traditional calculation methods, obtained in the NBR 6118, are presented along with the modifications which had to be implemented in order to allow for incremental loss calculations. Usage examples and the necessary calculations are presented and, through the results obtained, validate the adopted methodology. As results, the program presents two outputs: a spreadsheet containing the resultant forces and stresses and a check of these values with respect to the permissible stresses in the serviceability limit state; and the Robot model presents the prestress equivalent loads. The user may then use these loads in additional calculations. The spreadsheet may be used to easily check if the prestress is sufficient with respect to serviceability conditions.

<div>Several truck fires have occurred in recent years involving bridges with reinforced and prestressed concrete components. If the fire burns for a significant period of time (15 minutes or more), bridge inspectors and engineers must determine if the exposure to elevated temperature has reduced the strength and serviceability of the concrete components. Little guidance is available, however, correlating the results of field inspections with the actual condition of the reinforced/prestressed concrete elements. This dissertation presents the results of a research program conducted to develop rational guidance for inspectors and engineers to evaluate concrete bridge elements after a fire event and help them make informed decisions regarding the future status of the bridge. <br></div><div><br></div><div>The research program includes tests on portions of a reinforced concrete deck and three full-scaled AASHTO Type I prestressed girders acquired from a decommissioned highway bridge. In addition, six pretensioned concrete prismatic beam specimens with varying levels of prestress were fabricated and tested. The specimens had cross-sectional dimensions of 8 in. by 8 in. and were designed to simulate the bottom flanges of common I-shaped prestressed concrete bridge girders. The deck specimens and four (of the six) concrete beam specimens were subjected to elevated temperatures using radiation-based heaters. Two (of the six) prismatic specimens built in the laboratory were subjected to a hydrocarbon pool fire test conducted in the field for using approximately 135 gallons of kerosene. The concrete temperature profiles and the deformations of the specimens were measured using thermocouple trees and displacement transducers, respectively. Concrete samples were also cored and examined using various methods (DSC and SEM) to correlate microstructure degradation (microcracking, dehydration of C-S-H, decomposition of calcium hydroxide, etc.) with the measured temperatures through the depth of the specimens. <br></div><div><br></div><div>To evaluate the residual loading-carrying capacities of prestressed concrete girders after being subjected to fire, a hydrocarbon pool fire test was performed on two decommissioned AASHTO Type I girders in the field. Load tests were then conducted on the prestressed girders under both ambient and post-fire conditions. After structural testing, material tests were also conducted on concrete cores taken from the girders to evaluate the post-fire concrete microstructure alteration. Furthermore, three-dimensional finite element models were developed to predict the residual load-carrying capacities and overall structural responses of prestressed concrete bridge girders after being exposed to fire. Results from the numerical models generally agree favorably with experimental observations and provide insights into the behavior of the specimens. A parametric study was performed using the benchmarked finite element models to expand the database and establish design recommendations further. Capacity influence lines for load-carrying capacities and structural stiffness were developed and discussed.</div><div><br></div><div>Based on the results from this research, guidelines for the post-fire assessment of prestressed concrete bridges are included in this dissertation along with a step-by-step checklist. Bridge inspectors can infer the extent of damage to prestressed concrete bridge girders in the event of a fire and develop a post-fire assessment plan cognizant of the findings. In most cases, no more than 1.0 in. of the concrete from the exposed surface undergoes material damage / deterioration due to loss of CH, cracking, and spalling. The impact on the strength of prestressed concrete girders is relatively minor based on experimental results. Their initial stiffness, however, will likely be reduced. <br> </div><br>

The aim of this thesis is to assess the time-dependent behavior of a new kind of composite railway bridge deck composed by two precambered and prestressed beams. The method used until now to design these bridge decks is a simple classical computation method with a variable modular ratio. They have been placed only with simply supported spans up to 26 m.<p>It is now considered to apply this construction method for the building of continuous bridges (with larger spans) by connecting simply supported decks on their supports. It is known that this kind of construction will induce an additional and strong time-dependent redistribution of internal forces within the structure. It was felt that an in-depth understanding of the influence of the concrete time-dependent effects in this kind of composite structures is needed before proceeding with the design of statically indeterminate bridges. Two cross-section analysis programs applying the principle of superposition were developed: the first used the age adjusted effective modulus method and the second the step-by-step method. However, it is known that the delayed behavior of concrete does not fully comply with the principle of superposition. It appears that after a period of compression creep, creep recovery is significantly less than predicted by the superposition principle. In the construction phases of this bridge deck, the concrete fibers belonging to the bottom side of prestressed beams undergo a stress/strain history of significant unloading when the permanent loads are applied step-by-step. Moreover, these methods assume that the relative humidity remains constant. Finally, a lot of bridge decks are heated in order to transfer the prestressing as soon as possible. To evaluate more finely the time-dependent effects of concrete in such composite (and rather complex) structures with variable loading history, several steps have been carried out: <p>-Analysis of the influence of the heat treatment applied in the workshop and the level of applied stress on the creep and the shrinkage of the concrete.<p>-Analysis of the recovery phenomenon of the concrete resulting in the selection of the two-function method with the recovery function proposed by Yue and Taerwe.<p>-Development of a cross-section analysis program applying the two-function method to take into account more finely the recovery phenomenon, what resulted in a optimization of the phases of construction of the bridge decks by decreasing the minimum age of concrete before prestressing from 40 hours to 20 hours. <p>-Development of a structural analysis program with beam finite elements and applying the two-function method,what has resulted in an optimization of the phases of construction of continuous bridges composed by the junction of two bridge decks. <p>-Proposition of a modelling based on the understanding of the physico-chemical phenomenona which are at the origin of the delayed effects and coupled to a local analysis of the evolution of the degree of hydration and the internal relative humidity in order to take into account the changes of the boundaries conditions in terms of heat and moisture exchanges occurring along the construction history of the bridge decks in the evaluation of their long-term behavior. For each component of the delayed strains (the thermal strain, the autogenous shrinkage, the desiccation shrinkage, the desiccation creep, the basic creep), a modelling has been proposed.<p>-Development of a cross-section analysis program based on the numerically stable algorithm with increasing time steps for integral-type aging creep proposed by Bažant and including the different components of the delayed effects according to the proposed modelling.<p>The results seem to be very promising since it was possible to reproduce in a more realistic way the evolutions of the measured strains of the composite railway bridge deck instrumented in June 2000 and situated near Brussels South Station. <p><p><p>L’objectif de cette thèse est de prédire le comportement à long terme de structure mixte type pont-bac composée de poutres préfléchies, précontraintes et construites par phases. A l’heure actuelle, ils sont dimensionnés à l’état limite de service par une méthode traditionnelle pseudo-élastique avec un coefficient d’équivalence acier-béton variable. Il est envisagé d’étendre ce type de construction à la réalisation de viaducs hyperstatiques permettant de franchir de plus grandes portées en établissant une continuité entre deux travées au droit de leur support commun. Il est connu que ce type de construction induit une importante redistribution des efforts internes dans la structure. Il est donc indispensable d’évaluer très finement l’influence des effets différés du béton sur ce type de construction. Deux programmes généraux d’analyse de section basés sur la méthode du module effectif ajusté et la méthode pas-à-pas ont tout d’abord été développés. Ces méthodes appliquent le principe de superposition. Des limitations propres à ces méthodes ont été relevées pour des historiques où le béton subit plusieurs déchargements significatifs par rapport à son état de contrainte initial juste après le transfert de la précontrainte. Ces méthodes ont aussi l’inconvénient de supposer une humidité relative constante. Enfin,pour pouvoir être mis en précontrainte le plus tôt possible, les ponts-bacs sont chauffés. Les caractéristiques de retrait et de fluage s’écartent de celles déterminées en laboratoire sur des éprouvettes conservées à 20°C. Pour lever les limitations des méthodes classiques et évaluer plus finement l’état de contrainte et de déformation à long terme dans ce type de structure, plusieurs étapes ont été effectuées :<p>-Analyse de l’influence d’un traitement thermique appliqué dans les mêmes conditions que celles effectuées chez le préfabricant ainsi que du niveau de contrainte appliqué sur les déformations différées du béton. <p>-Analyse de l’influence de l’application de déchargements à des âges divers sur les éprouvettes de béton permettant de mettre en évidence le fait que la méthode dite aux deux fonctions avec la fonction de recouvrance proposée par Yue et Taerwe reproduit la plupart des résultats expérimentaux de manière très satisfaisante.<p>-Développement d’un programme d’analyse en section suivant la méthode pas-à-pas étendu à la méthode aux deux fonctions afin de mieux tenir compte de la recouvrance, ce qui a permis d’optimiser les phases de préfabrication des ponts-bacs en changeant l’instant de mise en précontrainte. Les simulations ont montré que si le béton du pont-bac est chauffé, la mise en précontrainte peut s’effectuer à 20 heures d’âge du béton. <p>-Développement d’un programme d’analyse de structure au moyen d’éléments finis de type poutre et dont l’algorithme de résolution applique la méthode aux deux fonctions, ce qui a permis d’optimiser les phases de construction de viaducs hyperstatiques constitués par la jonction de deux ponts-bacs. <p>-Proposition d’une modélisation fondée sur la compréhension des phénomènes physico-chimiques à l’origine des effets différés et couplée à une étude locale de l’évolution du degré d’hydratation et de la teneur en eau permettant de tenir compte des changements de conditions aux limites en terme d’échange de chaleur et d’humidité qui ont lieu au cours de l’histoire des ponts-bacs dans l’évaluation de leur comportement à long terme. Pour chaque composante des déformations différées (le retrait thermique, le retrait endogène, le retrait et le fluage de dessiccation, le fluage fondamental), une modélisation a été proposée.<p>-Développement d’un programme d’analyse de section basé sur une approche incrémentale avec l’algorithme récursif et exponentiel proposé par Bažant et dans lequel les composantes des effets différés ont été intégrées suivant la modélisation proposée. <p>Les résultats sont encourageants car ils ont permis de reproduire de manière beaucoup plus réaliste les évolutions des déformations mesurées dans le pont-bac instrumenté à Bruxelles. <p> / Doctorat en sciences appliquées / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished