Since the 1950’s, prestressed concrete beams have become a factor in almost one third of all new bridge construction in the United States. In Michigan, prestressed concrete was introduced in 1954 and the first prestressed concrete side-by-side box-beam bridge was built in 1955. Pontis data indicates 2,054 side-by-side prestressed concrete box-beam bridges in Michigan; 236 are part of the Nation...

This paper presents a new bridge management system (J-BMS). It is integrated with a concrete bridge rating expert system that can be used to evaluate the serviceability of existing concrete bridges. The proposed J-BMS not only evaluates the performance of bridges, but also offers a rehabilitation strategy based on a combination of maintenance cost minimization and quality maximization. In this ...

Highway bridges are frequently constructed as simple span structures with steel or concrete girders and a cast-in-place concrete deck, spanning from one pier to another. At each end of the simple span deck, a joint is provided for deck movement due to temperature, shrinkage, and creep. Bridge deck joints are expensive and pose many problems with regard to bridge maintenance. Elimination of deck...

Based on space temperature field test in solid tower of extradosed cable-stayed bridge, the method to calculate the space temperature field in solid concrete bridge tower is put forward systematically. By defining a series of meteorological parameters and concrete thermal parameters, the bridge tower temperature distribution is gotten. Compared with the experimental data, error is found within ...

The problem of concrete bridge deck deterioration on many of our newer as well as older bridges is severe, somewhat perplexing as to cause, and difficult to solve. Furthermore, the cost to highway agencies for their repair, and the cost of delay to the highway user, can be extremely large. The use of precast, prestressed concrete for bridge decks is a con­ cept of construction or reconstruction...

This paper summarizes the research findings of the fundamental characteristics of high-strength concrete for the flexural design of bridge girders. The main objective of the research is to provide recommended provisions to the AASHTO-LRFD Bridge Design Specifications to extend the use of concrete strength up to 18 ksi. A total of 15 plain concrete specimens were tested under eccentric compressi...

This paper presents a numerical study of the structural behaviour of concrete bridge deck slabs under static patch loads and dynamic traffic loads and an investigation of compressive membrane action (CMA) inside slabs. Those deck slabs were reinforced with Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars. Non-linear finite element analysis (NLFEA) models were established using ABAQUS 6.10 software pa...

This paper presents a computational framework for optimal design of non-prismatic reinforced concrete box girder bridges. The variables include the geometry of the cross section, tapered length, concrete strength and reinforcement of box girders and slabs. These are obtained by the enhanced colliding bodies optimization algorithm to optimizing the cost and again CO2 emission. Loading and design...

concrete bridge deck damage detection by measurement and monitoring variables related to vibration signatures is one of the main tasks of any bridge health monitoring system (bhms). generally damage puts some detectable/discoverable signs in the parameters of bridge vibration behavior. however, differences between frequency and mode shape before and after damage are not remarkable as vibration ...