Performance Assessment of Jointless Abutments in Virginia

Since the early 1980’s, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has been developing, evaluating, modifying, and incorporating bridge abutments that eliminate deck joints. More than 35 years later, VDOT’s Structure and Bridge Division has asked the Virginia Transportation Research Council to assess the performance of the various jointless abutments by visiting a representative sample of bridges constructed with these abutment and approach types. The goal of this project will be to assess the effect of various geometrical parameters on the long-term performance of various jointless abutments. This study may serve as the first in a potentially multi-phase effort that, ultimately, could expand the number of new bridges that can be constructed using more economical jointless abutments and approaches that also lead to lower life-cycle costs and fewer disruptions to the traveling public.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $265199
• Contract Numbers:

  115767

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Virginia Transportation Research Council

  530 Edgemont Road
  Charlottesville, VA  United States  22903
• Performing Organizations:

  Virginia Transportation Research Council

  530 Edgemont Road
  Charlottesville, VA  United States  22903
• Principal Investigators:

  Kassner, Bernie

  Hoppe, Edward

• Start Date: 20190701
• Expected Completion Date: 20240630
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge abutments; Evaluation and assessment; Jointless bridges; Life cycle costing
• Geographic Terms: Virginia
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01710406
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Virginia Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 115767
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 4 2019 10:11AM