摘要: |
The study included in this report assessed the strength, serviceability, and economic impact caused by overweight trucks hauling sugar cane on Louisiana bridges. Researchers identified the highway routes and bridges being used to haul this commodity and statistically chose samples to use in the analysis. Approximately 84 bridges were involved in this study. Four different scenarios of load configuration were examined: (1) GVW = 100,000 lb., with a maximum tandem load of 48,000 lb., (2) GVW = 100,000 lb., with a maximum tridem load of 60,000 lb., (3) Uniformly distributed tandem and tridem loads, and (4) GVW = 120,000 lb., with maximum tandem of 48,000 lb., and maximum tridem of 60,000 lb. It is to be noted that a GVW of 120,000 lb. for sugarcane haulers was the highest level currently considered in this investigation. The methodology used to evaluate the fatigue cost of bridges was based on the following procedures: (1) determine the shear, moment, and deflection induced on each bridge type and span, and (2) develop a fatigue cost for each truck crossing with (a) a maximum GVW of 120,000 lb., and (b) a GVW of 100,000 lb. with a uniformly distributed load. |