No description available.

Structural analysis of highway bridges using complicated 3-D FEMs to determine live load effects in bridge components is possible due to the readily available computational tools in design offices. However, building such complicated 3-D FEMs is tedious and time consuming. Accordingly, most design engineers prefer using simplified 2-D structural models of the bridge and live load distribution equations (LLDEs) available in current bridge design codes to determine live load effects in bridge components. Basically, the live load effect obtained from a 2-D model is multiplied by a factor obtained from the LLDE to calculate the actual live load effect in a 3-D structure. The LLDE available in current bridge design codes for jointed bridges were also used for the design of straight and skewed integral bridges by bridge engineers. As a result, these bridges are either designed conservatively leading to additional construction cost or unconservatively leading to unsafe bridge designs. Recently, LLDEs for integral bridges (IBs) with no skew are developed. To use these equations for skewed integral bridges (SIBs) a correction factor is needed to multiply these equations to include the effect of skew. Consequently, in this research study, skew correction factors for SIBs are developed. For this purpose, finite element models of 231 different three dimensional and corresponding two dimensional structural models of SIBs are built and analyzed under live load. The analyses results reveal that the effect of skew on the distribution of live load moment and shear is significant. It is also observed that skew generally tends to decrease live load effects in girders and substructure components of SIBs. Using the analyses results, analytical equations are developed via nonlinear regression techniques to include skew effects in the LLDEs developed for straight IBs. The developed skew correction factors are compared with FEAs results. This comparison revealed that the developed skew correction factors yield a reasonably good estimate of the reduction in live load effects due to the effect of skew.

Integral bridges (IBs) are defined as a class of rigid frame bridges with a single row of piles at the abutments cast monolithically with the superstructure. In the last decade, IBs have become very popular in North America and Europe as they provide many economical and functional advantages. However, standard design methods for IBs have not been established yet. Therefore, most bridge engineers depend on the knowledge acquired from performance of previously constructed IBs and the design codes developed for conventional jointed bridges to design these types of bridges. This include the live load distribution factors used to account for the effect of truck loads on bridge components in the design as well as issues related to the seismic design of such bridges. Accordingly in this study issues related to live load effects as well as seismic effects on IB components are addressed in two separate parts. In the first part of this study, live load distribution formulae for IB components are developed and verified. For this purpose, numerous there dimensional and corresponding two dimensional finite element models (FEMs) of IBs are built and analyzed under live load. The results from the analyses of two and three dimensional FEMs are then used to calculate the live load distribution factors (LLDFs) for the components of IBs (girders, abutments and piles) as a function of some substructure, superstructure and soil properties. Then, live load distribution formulae for the determination of LLDFs are developed to estimate to the live load moments and shears in the girders, abutments and piles of IBs. It is observed that the developed formulae yield a reasonably good estimate of live load effects in IB girders, abutments and piles. In the second part of this study, seismic performance of IBs in comparison to that of conventional bridges is studied. In addition, the effect of several structural and geotechnical parameters on the performance of IBs is assessed. For this purpose, three existing IBs and conventional bridges with similar properties are considered. FEMs of these IBs are built to perform nonlinear time history analyses of these bridges. The analyses results revealed that IBs have a better overall seismic performance compared to that of conventional bridges. Moreover, IBs with thick, stub abutments supported by steel H piles oriented to bend about their strong axis driven in loose to medium dense sand are observed to have better seismic performance. The level of backfill compaction is found to have no influence on the seismic performance of IBs.

The steel bridge system referred to as Simple for Dead load and Continuous for Live load (SDCL) has gained popularity in non-seismic areas of the country. Accordingly, it results in many advantages including enhanced service life and lower inspection and maintenance costs as compared to conventional steel systems. To-date, no research studies have been carried out to evaluate the behavior of the SDCL steel bridge system in seismic areas. The main objective of this research was to extend the application of SDCL to seismic areas. The concept of the SDCL system was developed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a complete summary of the research is provided in five AISC Engineering Journal papers. The SDCL system is providing steel bridges with new horizons and opportunities for developing economical bridge systems, especially in cases for which accelerating the construction process is a priority. The SDCL steel bridge system also provides an attractive alternative for use in seismic areas. The SDCL concept for seismic areas needed a suitable connection between the girder and pier. In this research, an integral SDCL bridge system was considered for further investigation. The structural behavior and force resistance mechanism of the proposed seismic detail considered through analytical study. The proposed connection evaluated under push-up, push-down, inverse and axial loading to find the sequence of failure modes. The global and local behavior of the system under push-down forces was mainly similar to non-seismic detail. The nonlinear time history analysis indicated that there is a high probability that bottom flange sustains tension forces under seismic events. The finite element model subjected to push-up forces to simulate the response of the system under the vertical component of seismic loads. However, the demand-capacity ratio was low for vertical excitation of seismic loads. Besides finite element results showed that continuity of bottom flange increased ductility and capacity of the system. While the bottom flange was not continuous, tie bars helped the system to increase the ultimate moment capacity. To model the longitudinal effect of earthquake loads, the model subjected under inverse forces as well as axial forces at one end. In this case scenario, dowel bars were most critical elements of the system. Several finite element analyses performed to investigate the role of each component of preliminary and revised detail. All the results demonstrated that continuity of the bottom flange, bolts area (in the preliminary detail), tie bars over the bottom flange (in the revised detail) were not able to provide more moment capacity for the system. The only component increased the moment capacity was dowel bars. In fact, increasing the volume ratio of dowel bars could be able to increase the moment capacity and prevent premature failure of the system. This project was Phase I of an envisioned effort that culminated in the development of a set of details and associated design provisions to develop a version of the SDCL steel bridge system, suitable for the seismic application. Phase II of this project is an ongoing project and currently the component specimen design and test setup are under consideration. The test specimen is going to be constructed and tested in the structures lab of Florida International University. A cyclic loading will be applied to the specimen to investigate the possible damages and load resistance mechanism. These results will be compared with the analysis results. In the next step, as phase III, a complete bridge with all the components will be constructed in the structures lab at the University of Nevada-Reno. The connection between steel girders will be an SDCL connection and the bridge will be subjected to a shake table test to study the real performance of the connection due to earthquake excitation.

Integral bridges are designed without expansion joints or bearings to eliminate the maintenance and repair costs associated with them. Thus, the expansion and contraction due to daily and seasonal temperature variations of the deck of the bridge are restricted by the abutments, causing the abutments to move cyclically towards and away from the granular material used as backfill. This movement results in a stress accumulation in the backfill retained by the abutments. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) was used was used to perform a numerical sensitivity analysis, investigating the effect of granular particle shape on the response of backfill material retained by integral bridge abutments.   Two DEM software suites were used to perform the simulations, namely STAR-CCM+, a commercial code, and Blaze-DEM, a research code under development at the University of Pretoria. Blaze-DEM makes use of Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) computing as opposed to traditional Central Processing Unit (CPU) computing. Blaze-DEM delivered computational times over 150 times faster than the equivalent simulation in STAR-CCM+. The results from the numerical sensitivity analysis showed that the particles with lower sphericities (higher angularities) experienced larger accumulations of stresses on the abutment as opposed to the more spherical particles. This was suggested to be a result of particle interlocking and reorientation. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Civil Engineering / MEng / Unrestricted

Am Übergang von Brückenbauwerken zu den angrenzenden Hinterfüllungen treten teilweise größere Unebenheiten der Fahrbahnoberfläche im Längsprofil auf. Eine Ursache dafür können Setzungen innerhalb der Hinterfüllung sein. Um diesen Anteil unter realen Bedingungen zu untersuchen, wurden an zwei Autobahnbrücken acht unterschiedlichen Hinterfüllungen ausgeführt und die Verformungen unter Verkehrsbelastung mit einem aufwändigen Messprogramm über einen Beobachtungszeitraum von bis zu vier Jahren erfasst. Im Ergebnis konnte für diese beiden Brücken gezeigt werden, dass die Setzungen unter Verkehrsbelastung nur wenige Millimeter betrugen und deutlich kleiner waren als die Höhenungenauigkeiten beim Einbau der Asphaltdeckschicht. Die Fahrbahnebenheit im Längsprofil wurde allein durch den Zustand vor Verkehrsfreigabe geprägt. Einfache Sofortmaßnahmen zur Erhöhung der Einbaugenauigkeit werden in der Arbeit vorgeschlagen. In einem weiteren Teil werden Erddruck- und Verformungsmessungen an zwei Hinterfüllungen einer integralen Rahmenbrücke vorgestellt.

Rapporten innehåller inledningsvis en faktadel med allmän information kring temperatursprickor i betong. Här presenteras bl a uppkomsten av fenomenet, vilka typer av sprickor som förekommer och vad ett tvång är. Tanken är att ge läsaren tillräcklig kunskap för att kunna förstå sig på de övriga delarna i rapporten. Resultatet och det huvudsakliga arbetet redovisas i form av tabeller med tillhörande illustrationer där det går att utläsa vilken sprickrisk som förekommer vid flera specifika fall och vilken åtgärd som bör vidtas för att eliminera sprickrisken. Som konstruktör kan du med din egen indata, dvs. dimensioner och temperaturer, följa tabellen och finna resultatet för ditt specifika fall. De konstruktionstyper som presenteras är bottenplatta, stödmur och plattrambro. En tillhörande databas i elektronisk form finns tillgänglig som en bilaga där varje beräknat fall är sparat. Filerna är enkla att modifiera för att göra det möjligt att genomföra ytterliggare beräkningar i de fall tabellerna är otillräckliga. Rapporten innehåller även ett avsnitt med förutsättningar till tabellerna där det går att utläsa arbetsgången och vilka parametrar som har använts. / The initial part of the report contains general information about thermal cracks. This section describes the origin to the cracks, what type of cracks that occurs and the force causing the problem. The major reason with this chapter is to give the reader enough knowledge to understand the rest of the report. The result and the main work are presented in tables with belonging illustrations. Each table contains the risk of cracking that occurs in several specific concrete structures and how to eliminate the risk. The report covers the following three types of structures: baseplate, retaining wall and integral bridge. The constructor can with his/her own dimensions and temperatures simply use the table to find the risk of cracking. A database including all the calculated files for each specific case is attached to the report. The files can easily be modified by the user in case the information in the tables is insufficient. All the precise circumstances and priority in the project are presented in the chapter “Förutsättningar och arbetsgång”.

Am Übergang von Brückenbauwerken zu den angrenzenden Hinterfüllungen treten teilweise größere Unebenheiten der Fahrbahnoberfläche im Längsprofil auf. Eine Ursache dafür können Setzungen innerhalb der Hinterfüllung sein. Um diesen Anteil unter realen Bedingungen zu untersuchen, wurden an zwei Autobahnbrücken acht unterschiedlichen Hinterfüllungen ausgeführt und die Verformungen unter Verkehrsbelastung mit einem aufwändigen Messprogramm über einen Beobachtungszeitraum von bis zu vier Jahren erfasst. Im Ergebnis konnte für diese beiden Brücken gezeigt werden, dass die Setzungen unter Verkehrsbelastung nur wenige Millimeter betrugen und deutlich kleiner waren als die Höhenungenauigkeiten beim Einbau der Asphaltdeckschicht. Die Fahrbahnebenheit im Längsprofil wurde allein durch den Zustand vor Verkehrsfreigabe geprägt. Einfache Sofortmaßnahmen zur Erhöhung der Einbaugenauigkeit werden in der Arbeit vorgeschlagen. In einem weiteren Teil werden Erddruck- und Verformungsmessungen an zwei Hinterfüllungen einer integralen Rahmenbrücke vorgestellt.