Engineering Commons^™

Experimental And Analytical Study Of Dynamic Behavior Of Bridge Superstructures Subjected To Overheight Vehicle Collisions, Yuan Jing

Doctoral Dissertations

The increasing occurrence of over-height vehicle collisions with bridges in the United States leads to concern about the damage due to lateral impact to bridge superstructures by over-height vehicles. However, this issue is not fully addressed in current bridge specifications. Previous researchers have conducted a number of small-scale tests to study the impact process. Also, finite element method (FEM) has largely been used to analyze the complicated collision mechanism.

A full-scale lateral impact testing facility was designed and built on a construction site in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. An AASHTO Type-I prestressed concrete (PC) girder and a Hybrid Composite Beam …

Bridge Deck Research At The University Of Tennessee: A Summary Thesis, Lindsey Brooke Phelps

Masters Theses

Currently, there has been no compilation of all the research the University of Tennessee has completed on chloride ion penetration in concrete bridge decks. The following thesis is a brief summary of the work that has been completed under Dr. Edwin Burdette’s direction over the last six years along with some additional literature review. The testing consisted of Surface Resistivity and Rapid Chloride Ion Penetration testing. This testing showed that there is, in fact a correlation between the two test methods, though SR testing is much easier to conduct. Considerable testing was completed on bridge decks throughout the state of …

Isolation As A Seismic Design Strategy For Bridges In The New Madrid Seismic Zone, Timothy E. Huff

Doctoral Dissertations

The seismic hazard in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) is primarily from the New Madrid Fault System (NMFS), which produced a series of large earthquakes in 1811-1812. Estimates of the magnitude of these earthquakes and the event magnitude appropriate for structural design in the New Madrid Seismic Zone vary greatly and have been the subject of much debate.

Current bridge design practice in the region relies primarily upon controlled damage by plastic hinging in columns/piles at piers to prevent collapse. Abutments are typically modeled with linear springs to represent piles and backfill stiffness. The usefulness, after a major seismic …