• Magazine of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.135-143
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• 1998

The wheel load distribution width for lane load is not specified in current Korea bridge design code(KD code), not like in current AASHTO and AASHTO LRFD specifications which specity it as twice of wheel load distribution width for wheel load. In this study, the wheel load distribution width in continuous reinforced concrete slab bridge is investigated. The major variables affecting the wheel load distribution of a reinforced concrete continuous slab bridge are the span length, bridge width, existence edge beam and boundary condition. From a series of comprehensive parametric study on each variable, the formula for wheel load distribution in continuous reinforced concrete slab bridge is proposed from the nonlinear regression analysis of finite element analysis results. The proposed formulas can be used efficiently in the accurate design of continuous reinforced concrete slab bridges.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.237-249
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• 2016

There are constraints on truck weight, axle configurations and size imposed by departments of transportation around the globe due to structural capacity limitations of highway pavements and bridges. In spite of that, freight movers demand some vehicles that surpass the maximum size and legal weight limits to use the transportation network. Oversized trucks serve the purpose of spreading the load on the bridge; thus, reducing the load effect on the superstructure. For such vehicles, often a quick structural analysis of the existing bridges along the traveled route is needed to ensure that the structural capacity is not exceeded. For a wide vehicle having wheel gage larger than the standard 1830 mm, the girder distribution factors in the design specifications cannot be directly used to estimate the live load in the supporting girders. In this study, a simple approach that is based on finite element analysis is developed by modifying the AASHTO LRFD's girder distribution factors for slab-on-steel-girder bridges to overcome this problem. The proposed factors allow for determining the oversized vehicle bending moment and shear force effect in the individual girders as a function of the gage width characteristics. Findings of the study showed that the relationship between the girder distribution factor and gage width is more nonlinear in shear than in flexure. The proposed factors yield reasonable results compared with the finite element analysis with adequate level of conservatism.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.395-414
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• 2013

The present study fundamentally investigated the mechanical performance of the rib-stiffened super-wide bridge deck with twin box girders in concrete, which is a very popular application to efficiently widen the bridges with normal span. The shear lag effects of the specific cross-sections were firstly studied. The spatial stress distribution and local stiffness of the bridge deck with twin box girders were then investigated under several typical wheel load conditions. Meanwhile, a comparative study for the bridge deck with and without stiffening ribs was also carried out during the investigation; thereby, a design optimization for the stiffening ribs was further suggested. Finally, aiming at the preliminary design, an approximate methodology to manually calculate the bending moments of the rib-stiffened bridge deck was analytically proposed for engineers to quickly assess its performance. This rib-stiffened bridge deck with twin box girders can be widely applied for concrete (especially concrete cable-stayed) bridges with normal span, however, requiring a super-wide bridge width due to the traffic flow.