Flexural load rating of concrete bridge girder with deteriorated deck

Abstract

Load rating analysis of bridge live load capacity is the main technique in evaluating existing bridges in the United States. Load ratings are performed on a bridge following a detailed visual inspection mainly based on engineering experience. With the absence of an analytical evaluation procedure to determine the ultimate flexural strength of bridge girders with deteriorated concrete deck, the load rating procedure is highly dependent on the engineer’s estimation. This paper presents a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model and an analytical model to predict the ultimate flexural strength of deteriorated Reinforced Concrete (RC) bridge girders that can be adopted in bridge evaluation analysis. Both models take into account the damaged material properties and geometry. The proposed methodology can be adopted in computing the nominal flexural strength in the procedure of load rating analysis. The authors concluded that deterioration of concrete decks leads up to 40% reduction in rating factors. This may result in posting or closing of the bridge.