Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


Binod with signature.pdf (1.3 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Determining Material and Geometric Properties of Flat Slab Bridges Without Plans

Paudel, Binod
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1471358453

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Science in Engineering, Youngstown State University, Department of Civil/Environmental and Chemical Engineering.
According to Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), out of approximately 6,550 small span concrete flat slab bridges in Ohio, nearly 1,234 (19%) do not have any plans. Most of these bridges without plans were constructed before 1950s without any anticipation of present day traffic. For convenience and to ensure public safety, the load bearing capacity of those bridges needs to be determined. Load rating of flat slab bridges without plans requires material and geometric properties of the structure. Structural dimensions of the slab, rebar size, spacing and clear cover along with the compressive strength of concrete are the main properties required in load rating of bridges. Compressive strength of concrete as well as size, spacing, and clear cover of rebar are the main challenges to be determined in flat slab bridges without plans. Destructive tests are costly, tedious, and involve risk of losing structural integrity. Therefore, non-destructive test (NDT) tools: Schmidt Hammer and Profoscope have been used in this research to estimate concrete strength and rebar details, respectively. The NDT tools used in this research are simple, quick, cost-effective and easy to use in the field. Nondestructive tests using Schmidt Hammer were conducted on concrete cylinder and beam specimens, while NDTs using Profoscope were conducted on concrete beam specimens in the laboratory. Rebound hammer tests on concrete cylinders were followed by destructive tests in order to correlate between rebound number and compressive strength of concrete cylinders. Following laboratory tests, a field investigation was conducted on TRU-5-28.97 Bridge, which is a flat slab bridge with available construction drawings and was built in 1930. The design drawings of the bridge helped in checking the reliability of Profoscope in determining reinforcement size and spacing. On the other hand, the laboratory established relationship between rebound number and the compressive strength of cylinder specimens was used in determining the compressive strength of concrete in the existing bridge after some correction based on the age of concrete. The compressive strength of concrete in the existing bridge slab is found to be reasonable as compared to the values from the literature reviews. Likewise, reinforcement details estimated using Profoscope were fairly close to the actual values. Profoscope tests significantly save cost and time in estimating area of reinforcing steel as compared to diagnostic tests. The findings from the field investigation will be utilized in load rating of the bridge. It is expected that non-destructive tests used in this research would help engineers estimate the load carrying capacity of concrete flat slab bridges without plans.
AKM Anwarul Islam, PhD, P.E. (Advisor)
Shakir Husain, PhD, P.E. (Committee Member)
Jai K. Jung, PhD (Committee Member)
71 p.
Civil Engineering; Engineering; Transportation; Transportation Planning
Flat slab bridges without plans, load rating of bridges, non destructive tests, Schmidt Hammer, Profoscope, material and geometric properties of flat slab bridges

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Paudel, B. (2016). Determining Material and Geometric Properties of Flat Slab Bridges Without Plans [Master's thesis, Youngstown State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1471358453

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Paudel, Binod. Determining Material and Geometric Properties of Flat Slab Bridges Without Plans. 2016. Youngstown State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1471358453.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Paudel, Binod. "Determining Material and Geometric Properties of Flat Slab Bridges Without Plans." Master's thesis, Youngstown State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1471358453

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ysu1471358453
773
© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Youngstown State University and OhioLINK.