Flexural and Punching Shear Capacity Comparison of Full-Scale ABC Steel Bridge Girders

Abstract

Two sections from a decommissioned bridge were salvaged and tested to quantify flexure and punching shear capacities. The salvaged bridge sections each consisted of two built-up, steel-plate girders, compositely attached to precast concrete, deck panels. The deck panels were part of an accelerated bridge construction (ABC) project and were connected to one-another using female-to-female, flexurally discontinuous, transverse joints. Experimental results were compared with theoretical-based results produced from AASHTO LRFD specifications design procedures. Measured flexural capacities exceed the AASHTO computational design capacity by 30%. The precast panels and transverse joints were also tested for punching shear capacity and found to range from 144 to 87% in comparison to the AASHTO LRFD values, depending on the proximity to the transverse joint. Nonlinear, finite-element models validated the experimental results. The analytical models had excellent agreement with experimental deflection, reaction forces, regions of yielding, and the ultimate flexural capacity.