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Structural Vulnerability Assessment Of Bridge Piers In The Event Of Barge Collision, David A. Ribbans

Masters Theses

The inland waterway system in the United States is fundamental to the transportation system as a whole and the success of the nation’s economy. Barge transportation in these waterways levitates congestion on the highway system and is beneficial when comparing barge transportation to other modes of freight transportation in measures of capacity, congestion, emissions, and safety. Unavoidably, the highway system intersects with the waterways, resulting in the risk of vessels collision into bridge structures. Particularly for barge impact, the literature is questioning the accuracy and oversimplification of the current design specifications.

The impact problem was investigated in this research using …