Experimental Testing and Refined Load Rating of Concrete Slab Bridge.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Experimental Testing and Refined Load Rating of Concrete Slab Bridge.
Authors:	Kabir, N. H.¹, Terzioglu, T.², Hueste, M. D.³, Hurlebaus, S.⁴, Mander, J. B.⁵, Paal, S. G.⁶
Source:	ACI Structural Journal. Jul2026, Vol. 123 Issue 4, p3-16. 14p.
Subjects:	Concrete bridges, Finite element method, Testing laboratories, Texas. Dept. of Transportation, Bearing capacity (Bridges), Traffic congestion
Geographic Terms:	United States
Abstract:	The aging reserve of bridges in the United States needs loadrating assessments to ensure sufficient load-carrying capacity and safety. Bridges without sufficient capacity to carry the legal loads are load-posted. These load limits reroute traffic, which may result in traffic congestion and longer routes, and, thus impose inconvenience on travelers and significant costs to society. This paper investigates the potential for improvement in the loadrating process for simple-span concrete slab bridges. Such bridges are load-rated by the Texas Department of Transportation using simplified load-rating procedures, which are intended to be conservative and can have varying degrees of accuracy compared to the actual behavior of bridges. Finite element modeling was conducted to simulate the expected behavior of a representative concrete slab bridge, and the model was calibrated using experimental test data. The equivalent width results were compared with estimates from established design specifications and empirical guidelines. The methods developed for concrete slab bridges with integral curbs provided accurate estimates of moment demand for curb sections. In addition, an established analytical approach in the literature accurately predicted the moment demand for interior slab sections under one-lane loading, while the equations in current design specifications performed well for two-lane loading cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Engineering Source

Description
Abstract:	The aging reserve of bridges in the United States needs loadrating assessments to ensure sufficient load-carrying capacity and safety. Bridges without sufficient capacity to carry the legal loads are load-posted. These load limits reroute traffic, which may result in traffic congestion and longer routes, and, thus impose inconvenience on travelers and significant costs to society. This paper investigates the potential for improvement in the loadrating process for simple-span concrete slab bridges. Such bridges are load-rated by the Texas Department of Transportation using simplified load-rating procedures, which are intended to be conservative and can have varying degrees of accuracy compared to the actual behavior of bridges. Finite element modeling was conducted to simulate the expected behavior of a representative concrete slab bridge, and the model was calibrated using experimental test data. The equivalent width results were compared with estimates from established design specifications and empirical guidelines. The methods developed for concrete slab bridges with integral curbs provided accurate estimates of moment demand for curb sections. In addition, an established analytical approach in the literature accurately predicted the moment demand for interior slab sections under one-lane loading, while the equations in current design specifications performed well for two-lane loading cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	08893241
DOI:	10.14359/51749550