Effect of thermal loads on substructures : New Trammel Creek Bridge on KY-100 in Allen County, Kentucky.

Abstract

PDFTech ReportKTC-15-14/ SPR10-408-1FBridge foundationsBridge piersBridge substructuresThermal stressesTemperatureEarth pressureStructural health monitoringInstrumentationFinite element methodKentuckyUniversity of Kentucky Transportation CenterZhu, ZhihuiDavidson, MichaelSun, CharlieHarik, IssamUniversity of Kentucky Transportation CenterKentucky. Transportation CabinetUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationUS Transportation CollectionWhen infrastructure is subjected to temperature changes, structural members that are either partially or fullyrestrained against motion can develop internal stresses. The phenomenon of temperature-induced internal stress developmentin superstructure members has prompted the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials(AASHTO) to include provisions for determining superstructure temperature load effects. However, little consideration hasbeen given to explicitly quantifying the effect that thermal stresses have on foundation systems such as intermediate bridgepiers. The objective of this study is to instrument a multi-span integral abutment bridge with temperature and bridgeresponse monitoring devices, and ultimately, to make a comparative analysis between measurements of temperature-inducedsoil pressures with pressures derived using the AASHTO design provisions. Accordingly, the New Trammel Creek Bridge(002B00054N) along KY-100 in Allen County, Kentucky has been fitted with temperature and response instrumentation.Data has being continuously collected from the bridge site since May 2011, and can be viewed at:http://www.ktc.uky.edu/kytc/RemoteBridgeMonitoringInKY/ky100Allen.html. Included in the research is a detailedanalytical study of the New Trammel Creek Bridge, performed simultaneously with a field-monitoring program. Finiteelement (FE) modeling and analysis of temperature loadings on the bridge have pointed to AASHTO superstructure-temperature provisions as the preferred method. Also called Method B, the AASHTO provisions led to adequate sizing ofbridge foundation members