Experimental Evaluation of Strengthening Methods for Bridge Piers Against Vehicular Collision

The objective of this research is to understand how to strengthen existing piers to resist collision forces common in multiple Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) districts. A better understanding of strengthening methods with conventional concrete collars, ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) collars, fiber reinforced plastics (FRPs) or other optimized methods would make those repairs more cost efficient. The goal is to strengthen the existing piers to resist the AASHTO LRFD 600-kip (2668.93-KN) ESF. Based on the finite element models and theoretical calculations of conventional concrete, UHPC, and carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) wrap developed in the phase 1 of research, the authors aim to construct reduced-scale models for impact testing and full-scale models for static testing that could help FDOT understand how to improve and retrofit existing piers to have adequate capacity to resist the AASHTO LRFD 600- kip equivalent static design force and improve without a pier protection barrier. Given the limited existing research on pier strengthening to improve resistance against lateral impact, this study aims to enhance the safety of existing bridges and provide more cost-efficient strengthening solutions.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $556728
• Contract Numbers:

  BED30 977-14

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Florida Department of Transportation

  Research Center
  605 Suwannee Street MS-30
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450
• Managing Organizations:

  Florida Department of Transportation

  Research Center
  605 Suwannee Street MS-30
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450
• Project Managers:

  Freeman, Christina

• Performing Organizations:

  Florida State University, Tallahassee

  217 Westcott Building
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32306-
• Principal Investigators:

  Jung, Sungmoon

• Start Date: 20240419
• Expected Completion Date: 20270430
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: Emerging and Enabling Technologies

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge piers; Crash cushions; Fiber reinforced plastics; Impact loads; Ultra high performance concrete
• Identifier Terms: Florida Department of Transportation
• Geographic Terms: Florida
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01920453
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Florida Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: BED30 977-14
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jun 3 2024 2:37PM