MPC Research Reports
Report Details

Title:	Dynamic Assessment of Bridge Deck Performance Considering Realistic Bridge-Traffic Interaction
Authors:	Yufen Zhou and Suren Chen
University:	Colorado State University
Publication Date:	Sep 2017
Report #:	MPC-17-333
Project #:	MPC-381
TRID #:	01648424
Keywords:	bridge decks, concrete bridges, dynamic models, evaluation and assessment, fatigue (mechanics), highway bridges, roughness, traffic flow, traffic loads

Abstract

Concrete bridge decks are directly exposed to daily traffic loads and may experience some surface cracking caused by excessive stress or fatigue accumulation, which requires repair or replacement. Among typical bridges in North America, bridge decks are considered the most expensive component to construct and repair, not only because of direct repair cost repair, but also due to the indirect cost from the traffic disruption during the repair action. In order to rationally predict the bridge deck response and the damage risk, some appropriate analytical tools are needed to consider the dynamic effects between the bridge and multiple vehicles moving in a realistic way. Such an analytical tool should be able to provide rational prediction of the bridge global and local responses, such as displacement and stress on bridge decks in addition to other members, which can be used for fatigue or other damage assessment. In the present study, a hybrid dynamic analytical approach is developed for a typical multi-span concrete bridge and stochastic traffic flow by considering the excitation from road roughness. Based on the dynamic response results, the fatigue assessment is conducted with a focus on providing insights on vulnerable locations and the impacts from varied traffic and road roughness conditions.

How to Cite

Zhou, Yufen, and Suren Chen. Dynamic Assessment of Bridge Deck Performance Considering Realistic Bridge-Traffic Interaction, MPC-17-333. North Dakota State University - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, Fargo: Mountain-Plains Consortium, 2017.