Design and Construction of Deck Bulb Tee Girder Bridges with UHPC Connections

Many state DOTs and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are actively promoting accelerated bridge construction (ABC) to reduce traffic impacts, onsite construction time, environmental impacts, and life-cycle costs. However, the usage of prefabricated deck bulb tee (DBT) girders has been limited to relatively short-span and low traffic bridges because of (1) difficulties in accommodating super-elevation transitions on bridge decks, pier skews, differential camber, and stability; and (2) concerns of long-term performance of connections between DBT girders. For example, skewed DBT girders cause bridge deck profile problems because the cambers in adjacent girders do not "line up," and if diaphragms are used to bring the DBT girders into line, large forces are induced. For the longitudinal and transvers connections between DBT girders, there are a wide range of potential variables to be considered during design and construction of the connections including connection width, bar size, bar spacing, bar detailing (straight, bent or headed), black or epoxy bars, flange thickness, and closure pour materials. The typical DBT girders connected by longitudinal joints with welded tie and grouted connection are not performing well and are not suitable for long-span DBT girder bridges as the load transfer demand on the connection is high. Addressing these topics and use of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) as closure pour materials could result in a dramatic improvement in reliability and economy of DBT girders for ABC. The objective of this research was to propose draft AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications and AASHTO LRFD Bridge Construction Specifications for design and construction of DBT girder bridges using UHPC for connection.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=4204

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $480000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 18-18

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Abu-Hawash, Ahmad

• Performing Organizations:

  Ohio University, Athens

  Athens, OH  United States  45701
• Principal Investigators:

  Steinberg, Eric

• Start Date: 20170703
• Expected Completion Date: 20201002
• Actual Completion Date: 20201002
• Source Data: RiP Project 40850

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge construction; Bridge decks; Bridge members; Cast in place concrete; Girder bridges; Precast concrete; Prefabricated bridges; Skew bridges; Ultra high performance concrete
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01598999
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 18-18
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 12 2016 2:39PM