Implementation of a Refined Shear Rating Methodology for Prestressed Concrete Girder Bridges

Download or read book Implementation of a Refined Shear Rating Methodology for Prestressed Concrete Girder Bridges written by Stephen J. Druschel and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 91 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lower than desirable shear ratings at the ends of prestressed concrete beams have been the topic of ongoing research between MnDOT and the University of Minnesota. A recent study by the University of Minnesota entitled Investigation of Shear Distribution Factors in Prestressed Concrete Girder Bridges (French et al., 2016) sought to increase the shear rating of a prestressed concrete beam via a refined live load distribution factor, considering the location-based load distribution of each axle along the span. The study also presented a screening tool to determine the likelihood that the refined methodology would improve the shear rating of a given prestressed concrete beam bridge. The research presented within this report implemented the refined shear rating methodology presented by French et al. (2016). MnDOT selected 522 bridges from its inventory noted as having shear rating deficiencies for potential re-evaluation as part of this research. After employing the screening tool, the initial selection was reduced to 127 applicable bridges, of which 50 were selected for re-evaluation. For the 50 bridges evaluated, the refined rating methodology was found to improve the shear ratings by an average of 16 percent. The screening tool also proved to be an effective means of determining the candidacy of a given bridge for re-evaluation.