Forensic Testing of a Double Tee Bridge


Download Final Report

CAIT project no.: CAIT-UTC-044

Fiscal Year: 2013/2014

Status: Final

Rutgers-CAIT Author(s): Paul Barr, Associate Professor, USU, Patrick Szary, Ph.D.

External Author(s): Russ Scovil

Sponsor(s): FHWA-RITA, Utah Department of Transportation

Summary:

Many DOTs have aging bridges that have been in their inventory that they are responsible for maintenance and replacement.  Furthermore, many of the older bridges have exceeded the design life.  To complicate the issue, design plans for many of the older bridges simply do not exist and make the need of replacement even more pressing due to the uncertainty of the bridge.  However, replacement is difficult do to limited budgets and excessive needs.  As such, DOTs do not have the experience or data to draw upon to decide whether the bridges need to be replaced.  A unique opportunity to test a full scale double tee concrete bridge that was one of the first prestressed bridges built in the state of Utah has become available.  Very little information exists on double tee bridge girders that have been in service for an extended period of time.  The information gained from testing this bridge will provide valuable data on the performance of double tee concrete bridges that have been subjected to severe corrosion and quantify their flexure and shear capacities.  This data will help Department of Transportation agencies make better informed maintenance decisions.