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Abstract: Traffic load models used for the design of new bridges are based on conservative assumptions and have not been proven efficient for assessing safety of existing bridges. In the case of existing bridges, it is reasonable to use load models that are based on bridge weigh-in-motion data which, in addition to axle loads and spacing of bridge-crossing vehicles, provide information on bridge behaviour under traffic load. This paper provides an overview of traffic load models, as well as guidelines on the use of weigh-in-motion data when assessing condition of existing road bridges.
Keywords: prometna obtežba, tehtanje vozil med vožnjo, mostni WIM, ocenjevanje stanja, obstoječi mostovi, traffic load, weigh-in-motion, bridge WIM, condition assessment, existing bridges
Published in DiRROS: 27.03.2024; Views: 85; Downloads: 68
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Abstract: Most of the existing railway steel bridges are nowadays older than 70 years, experiencing serious aging and overload problems. Therefore they either need to be replaced or strengthened to fulfil the increased requirements. The main idea of strengthening existing steel bridges is considering the possibility of adding load bearing deck above the main girders without replacing them. In this particular case study, the original steel structure of the 9m long railway bridge was dismantled and transported to the laboratory for the experimental assessment and development of the new rehabilitation method. Based on the assessment results, a strengthening slab was designed using Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) formula. In the life cycle analysis, using LCC and LCA models, the comparison of the application of UHPFRC cast in-situ deck is compared to the bridge replacement solution, which was actually selected method by the owner. The executed solution used also a temporary bridge in order to enable continuous traffic, which has caused very high construction costs. In order to compare different options, we have additionally analysed a solution without a temporary bridge, which created three life cycle scenarios. Most important steps during the construction, exploitation and end-of-life stage have been taken into account and integrated into the LCA and LCC models. Finally the environmental, economy and societal impacts of three solutions were compared over the period of 60 years. The rehabilitation option with UHPFRC deck has shown by far the lowest direct and environmental cost while the user delay costs only after the period of 50 years are not the most convenient for users. Superior characteristics of UHPFRC enabled the optimization of the load bearing deck and by that a very low total used quantity of material resulting in minimum direct and indirect costs.
Keywords: railway steel bridge, UHPFRC, strengthening, LCA, LCC model
Published in DiRROS: 25.01.2024; Views: 151; Downloads: 104
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Abstract: Ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced cement-based composite (UHPFRC) has been increasingly adopted for rehabilitation projects over the past two decades, proving itself as a reliable, cost-efficient and sustainable alternative against conventional methods. High compressive strength, low permeability and high ductility are some of the characteristics that render UHPFRC an excellent material for repairing existing aged infrastructure. UHPFRC is most commonly applied as a surface layer for strengthening and rehabilitating concrete structures such as bridge decks or building slabs. However, its implementation with steel structures has so far been limited. In this work, the UHPFRC strengthening of a steel bridge is investigated both in simulation as well as in the laboratory, by exploiting a real-world case study: the Buna Bridge. This Croatian riveted steel bridge, constructed in 1893, repaired in 1953, and decommissioned since 2010, was removed from its original location and transported to laboratory facilities for testing prior to and after rehabilitation via addition of UHPFRC slab. The testing campaign includes static and dynamic experiments featuring state-of-the-art monitoring systems such as embedded fiber optics, acoustic emission sensors and digital image correlation. The information obtained prior to rehabilitation serves for characterization of the actual condition of the structure and allows the design of the rehabilitation solution. The UHPFRC slab thickness was optimized to deliver optimal fatigue and ultimate capacity improvement at reasonable cost. Once the design was implemented, a second round of experiments was conducted in order to confirm the validity of the solution, with particular attention allocated to the interface between the steel substrate and the UHPFRC overlay, as the connection between both materials may result in a weak contact point. A detailed fatigue analysis, based on updated FEM models prior to and after strengthening, combined with the results of a reliability analysis prove the benefits of adoption of such a solution via the significant extension of the structural lifespan.
Keywords: bridge, steel, UHPFRC, structures
Published in DiRROS: 21.12.2023; Views: 195; Downloads: 76
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Abstract: The paper presents a case study of a considerably cracked and degraded bridge in Slovenia: with the implementation of in-situ measurements under bending and shear and the use of a non-destructive acoustic emission technique. Despite the existing crack system, the latter was able to detect microstructural changes. These were characterised by low values of average frequency (AF), as well as lower values of the rise time-amplitude ratio (RA), and energy. A correlation between shear capacity and acoustic activity was observed. This promises to expand the use of AE in the process of assessing of the load-bearing capacity of existing concrete structures.
Keywords: shear resistance, shear crack, crack width, acoustic emission (AE) parameters, bridge girder, stiffness, elasticity, damage evaluation
Published in DiRROS: 28.11.2023; Views: 192; Downloads: 104
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Abstract: Bridge weigh-in-motion systems use instrumented bridges or culverts to weigh vehicles as they pass over the structures. They also provide data to allow the calculation of several bridge performance indicators. The article starts with the basics of a bridge weigh-in-motion system and briefly describes two key bridge performance indicators, girder distribution factor and dynamic amplification factor, which are also derived from B-WIM measurements. The central part of the article focuses on monitoring of influence lines, the third key parameter that characterises the bridge performance under traffic loads. First, the method of calculating the bending moment influence lines from random heavy traffic is described. A coefficient of rotational stiffness is introduced, which defines the shape of influence lines around the supports as a linear combination of the ideal simply supported and fixed supported influence lines, to allow quantifying the influence line changes. Then the long-term monitoring of influence lines is investigated on four different single-span test bridges. The initial focus is given on the examination of the effect of temperature on the shape of influence lines. Finally, two sets of influence lines are compared on one test bridge, one from before and the other from after replacing the expansion joints and bearings. The work done so far confirms that calculating of influence lines from random vehicles with a B-WIM system is entirely feasible and that differences in their shape can be detected on single-span bridges. What remains to be investigated is the comparison of these differences to the actual damages and under which circumstances the proposed procedure can compete with or better the routine bridge inspection and the conventional monitoring techniques.
Keywords: bridge loading, bridge response, temperature dependency, influence line, monitoring
Published in DiRROS: 12.09.2023; Views: 331; Downloads: 127
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