Experimental Techniques for Lateral Stability Testing of Beams

WOS: 000363051900006This paper presents experimental setups used in lateral stability tests of beams. The load frame of the setup effectively eliminates the lateral-translational and torsional restraints at the load application point, while maintaining the vertical orientation of the applied load, despite the lateral deformations and twisting rotations in the specimen. Two different support frames used in the experiments are also presented. The first support frame provides simple support conditions in-and out-of-plane and the second frame simulates the actual support conditions of an elastomeric bearing pad-supported bridge girder before construction of the bridge deck. Finally, experimental methods for determining the deformations and longitudinal strains in a beam undergoing lateral torsional buckling are discussed.Georgia Department of Transportation [RP 05-15]The experimental setups presented in this paper were constructed at the Structural Engineering and Materials Laboratory, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology. The authors would thank Dr. Lawrence F. Kahn, Dr. Abdul-Hamid Zureick, and Dr. Kenneth M. Will from Georgia Institute of Technology for their supervision and help during the course of the experiments. The help of Mr. Jeremy Mitchell, the facilities manager of the laboratory, in the construction of the setups and in conducting the experiments is gratefully acknowledged. The study was supported by the Georgia Department of Transportation through the project name "Stability of Precast Prestressed Concrete Bridge Girders Considering Sweep and Thermal Effects", project number RP 05-15, and task number 02-21; this support is gratefully acknowledged