Behavior of Structural Composite Lumber T-Beam Bridge Girders after Fatigue Loading

Abstract

Recent innovation in the engineered wood industry has produced structural composite lumber (SCL) that achieves excellent strength, stiffness, and efficient use of wood. Product variations of SCL, such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and parallel strand lumber (PSL), are currently being used in transportation to produce bridge girders and decks for rural and other low traffic volume roads. Although the elastic and shear properties of SCL are available, no attempt has been made to estimate the fatigue performance of bridge girders. This study tested 12 new and 2 old, weathered SCL T-beam bridge girders with material and preservative variations for AASHTO-specified flexural fatigue under a stress-controlled test setup simulating 60 years of service. Transverse posttension was applied to the girders simulating a real-life situation. Results from the study indicate that the girders are capable of withstanding the repetitive loads without much physical damage. A few of the LVL girders had severe delamination at the SCL-epoxy interface. The fatigued girders were loaded statically up to failure and compared with the ultimate flexural strength of fresh girders. The girders did not show any appreciable strength loss because of one million cycles of fatigue loading. There was no effect of SCL type and preservative treatment on fatigue strength.