Simulating Bridge Crossings
Abstract
Study to determine the feasibility and advisability of alternate methods of durability testing of military bridges. Objective was to reduce bridge test costs by substituting simulated crossings for a portion of the field crossings test used to assess the bridge durability requirement of 5000 crossings. A viable test procedure was developed which uses hydraulic actuators that apply cyclic loads to bridge prototypes to simulate tank crossings. The simulation test method outlined in this paper provides the following: (1) Significant savings in cost and time over field crossings. (2) A method for using the hydraulic actuators to create stresses in the bridge prototypes equal to the stresses created by tank crossings. (3) A method of incorporating strain data found during field crossings to ensure that the loads applied during the simulation are representative of the loads that occur during field crossings. (4) A consistent test procedure that is not altered based on the bridge design being tested. This approach eliminates the errors that n-Light be caused by subjective evaluations from engineers' analysis of bridge designs
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA266345
Entities
People
- Russell Hepler