Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) personnel monitored the installation of load indicating washers (LIWs) on the US 60 bridge at Catlettsburg, KY during construction. On completion of the bridge, KTC personnel performed torque measurements on a number of LIW installations. LIWs previously installed on the Thirteenth Street Bridge over the Ohio River at Ashland, KY were also inspected.
The KTC construction inspections revealed no significant problems in installing LIWs. Workers were able to use them to determine proper bolt assembly installation. They also permitted inspectors to rapidly check for proper bolt tension. As with other bolt tensioning methods, LIWs had to be tested prior to installation.
The follow-up field torque tests indicated that the LIWs provided consistent bolt tension values.
The only potential service problem with LIWs, as discerned on the Thirteenth Street bridge, is related to corrosion. Uncoated LIWs must be hand painted to prevent rusting
