Engineering Commons^™

Fatigue Risks In The Connections Of Sign Support Structures, Christopher M. Foley, Joseph A. Diekfuss, Baolin Wan

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

This research effort develops a reliability-based approach for prescribing inspection intervals for mast-arm sign support structures corresponding to user-specified levels of fatigue-induced fracture risk. The resulting level of risk for a particular structure is dependent upon its geographical location, the type of connection it contains, the orientation of its mast-arm relative to north and the number of years it has been in service. The results of this research effort indicate that implementation of state-of-the-art reliability-based assessment procedures can contribute very valuable procedures for assigning inspection protocols (i.e. inspection intervals) that are based upon probabilities of finding fatigue-induced cracking in these …

Performance Evaluation Of Open Graded Base Course With Doweled And Non-Doweled Transverse Joints, Robert Schmitt, Samuel Owusu-Ababio, James Crovetti

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

The objectives of this study were to investigate the performance of 20-year old doweled/non-doweled and dense-graded/permeable base test sections on three concrete pavement segments in Wisconsin: USH 18/151 in Iowa and Dane counties, STH 29 in Brown County, and USH 151 in Columbia and Dane Counties. Five pavement bases were placed including: dense graded, asphalt-stabilized permeable, cement-stabilized permeable, and untreated permeable having two gradation sizes.

USH 18/151 test sections had similar performance (PDI) for doweled unsealed pavement on dense and permeable base. Distresses common to all segments included slight to moderate distressed joints/cracks and slight transverse faulting. Asphalt-stabilized permeable base …

In-Situ Monitoring And Testing Of Ibrc Bridges In Wisconsin, Christopher Foley, Baolin Wan, Carl Schneeman, Kristine Barnes, Jordan Komp, Junshan Liu, Andrew Smith

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

This study examines two highway bridges constructed using novel fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite stay-in-place formwork and an FRP grillage reinforcement system. Both bridge superstructures rely on the FRP components as bridge deck reinforcement. These bridges were monitored in-situ for a period of five years. The monitoring included a series of in-situ load test as well as non-destructive evaluation (NDE). Laboratory investigations accompanied and guided the load testing and NDE implemented. Finite element simulations were employed to evaluate the likely causes of premature deck cracking seen in the traditionally-constructed bridge and the FRP-component superstructures. The study identifies sources of potential deterioration, …

Concrete Cracking In New Bridge Decks And Overlays, Baolin Wan, Christopher Foley, Jordan Komp

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

There appears to be a trend for new bridge decks in the state of Wisconsin to develop early-age transverse cracks and map cracks on concrete overlays. A comprehensive literature review of the potential causes of concrete bridge deck cracking is provided. Fifteen bridge structures found in the recently completed Marquette Interchange were analyzed using 21 variables thought to cause early-age bridge deck cracking. Visual inspection of sixteen bridges in Milwaukee is described. The inspections show that the continuous superstructures have more cracks than the simply-supported bridges. A finite element model was created for a typical two-span continuous superstructure with HL-93 …

Analysis Of Load-Induced Strains In A Hot Mix Asphalt Perpetual Pavement, James Crovetti

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

This report presents the findings of a research study conducted to investigate the structural performance of a 275 mm hot mix asphalt perpetual pavement constructed as part of the WIM bypass lane at the Kenosha Safety & Weigh Station Facility. Two separate test sections were constructed using variable binder types and in-place air voids. Asphalt strain sensors were fabricated at Marquette University and installed during the construction of the HMA pavement. Sensors were positioned within the outer wheel path and located at the bottom of the 275 mm HMA pavement and at the interface between the lower layers at a …

Fatigue Risks In The Connections Of Sign Support Structures: Phase 1, Christopher Foley, Baolin Wan, Mathew Weglarz, Matthew Hellenthal, Jordan Komp, Andrew Smith, Joseph Schmidt

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Wisconsin sought to assess the risk of fatigue-induced fracture in its existing sign support structures designed before the latest AASHTO specifications that included fatigue design. A framework for assessing fatigue-induced fracture risk is developed and detailed synthesis of fatigue testing of connections is conducted. Statistical analysis of tests conducted since 1970 is made and models for characterizing uncertainty in the fatigue life of these connections are proposed. Recommendations regarding further fatigue testing (specimen configuration, number and stress range) are given. Statistical models for wind speed and direction are developed using historical records obtained through the National Climatic Data Center for …

Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Over Rubblized Pcc, James Crovetti

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

This report has presented findings of research conducted to determine the viability of constructing Portland cement concrete pavements over rubblized PCC. Rubblization of aged PCC pavements is a common technique for in-place recycling of these pavements. For the vast majority of applications, the rubblized PCC layer is surfaced with hot mix asphalt (HMA). The use of Portland cement concrete as a surfacing material offers designers another option which may provide good performance and be cost-effective under certain conditions.

The current concrete pavement design procedures utilized by WisDOT allow for the incorporation of a rubblized PCC base layer and an increase …

Effects Of Subsurface Drainage On Pavement Performance, James Crovetti, Kathleen T. Hall

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

This report evaluates the effects of subsurface drainage features on pavement performance through a program of inspection and testing of the subsurface drainage features present in the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) SPS-1 and SPS-2 field sections. The report will be of particular interest to engineers in the public and private sectors with responsibility for the design, construction, and rehabilitation of highway pavements.

Cost Effective Concrete Pavement Cross Sections - Final Report, James Crovetti

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

This report presents the findings of a study of alternate pavement designs targeted at reducing the initial construction costs of concrete pavements without compromising pavement performance. Test sections were constructed with alternate dowel materials, reduced dowel placements, variable thickness concrete slabs and alternate surface and subsurface drainage details. Performance data was collected out to 5 and 7 years after construction.

The study results indicate that FRP composite dowels may not be a practical alternative to conventional epoxy coated steel dowels due to their reduced rigidity, which results in lower deflection load transfer capacities at transverse joints. Ride quality measures also …

Development Of Modulus-To-Temperature Relations For Hma Mixtures In Wisconsin, James Crovetti, Kathleen T. Hall, R. Christopher Williams

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

This report presents the findings of a research study conducted to develop modulus-to-temperature relations for HMA mixtures used in Wisconsin. Surface deflection data gathered from in-place HMA pavements was used to estimate the resilient modulus of the HMA layer at the various test temperatures. Laboratory resilient modulus testing was also conducted on recovered HMA cores to establish trends of HMA resilient modulus as a function of test temperature and load frequency. Prediction equations for estimating modulus-to-temperature trends were developed from laboratory testing to account for mixture-specific parameters, including fines content, air voids and binder content.

Estimations of HMA modulus-to-temperature trends …

Early Opening Of Portland Cement Concrete (Pcc) Pavements To Traffic, James Crovetti, Lev Khazanovich

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

This report presents the results of a detailed stress analysis and a field and laboratory test program which investigated the early-age strength gain for selected PCC paving mixtures used in Wisconsin as well as the effects of early-age loading on doweled pavement joints. A simplified procedure for predicting critical dowel-PCC interface stresses was developed. This procedure was used in conjunction with allowable bearing stresses to establish minimum compressive strength requirements for opening to traffic based on pavement design parameters, including PCC, base, subgrade and dowel material properties. Equations for predicting early-age PCC compressive strength from 7-Day or 28-Day laboratory test …

Development Of Rational Overlay Design Procedures For Flexible Pavements, James Crovetti

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

This report presents the findings of a research study conducted to develop procedures for the design of structural HMA overlays over existing flexible pavements in Wisconsin. The recommended procedures are presented in a hierarchal approach to allow the user the flexibility of estimating the effective structural number of an in-place HMA pavement based on visual and/or nondestructive deflection testing data and to develop overlay thickness requirements based on the structural deficiency approach.

Techniques for estimating the effective structural number of an existing pavement based on surface deflection are presented. The equations presented in the 1993 AASHTO Design Guide were modified …

Structural Analysis Of Sign Bridge Structures And Luminaire Supports, Christopher Foley, Raymond Fournelle, Scott J. Ginal, John L. Peronto

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has experienced failures of a high-mast luminaire (HML) support structure and a full-span overhead sign support structure. Furthermore, cracking has been found in many sign support structures composed of welded round hollow structural shapes (HSS). The purpose of the research conducted was to provide fatigue life estimates for these structures, which could then shed light onto the causes of the cracking found and the failures experienced. The analytical and experimental effort conducted was also used to establish rational inspection intervals for these structures and recommend changes (as required) to the procedures for design of high-mast …

Cost Effective Concrete Pavement Cross Sections - Interim Report, James Crovetti

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

The present pavement selection policy of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) limits the design alternatives for Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavements and inhibits the designer's ability to select cross-sections deviating from uniform slab thicknesses with doweled transverse joints. Currently, uniform slab thicknesses and conventional joint load transfer devices are incorporated into the design based on the heavy truck traffic in the outer lane. While this strategy provides for adequate pavement structure in this truck lane to limit faulting and slab cracking to tolerable levels, there is a potential for over-design in other traffic lanes which receive significantly lower Equivalent …

Analysis Of Support Conditions Under Joined Concrete Slabs Along Ush 18/151, James Crovetti

Transportation Reports with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has been constructing jointed concrete pavements incorporating open graded permeable base (OGPB) layers for a number of years. The OGPB layer has been constructed using non-stabilized, asphalt stabilized, and cement stabilized aggregates of varying gradations. Test sections have been established throughout the State of Wisconsin and have been monitored for performance for the last 5 years. To date, little if any performance variations after limited trafficking have been noted for jointed PCC sections constructed over OGPB layers as compared to those constructed over conventional dense graded aggregate base layers.

Data was collected along USH 18/151 …