Load Testing of Bridges Current Practice and Diagnostic Load Testing

Part I Background to Bridge Load Testing

Chapter 1 Introduction
Eva O. L. Lantsoght
1.1 Background
1.2 Scope of application
1.3 Aim of this book
1.4 Outline of this book

Chapter 2 History of Load Testing of Bridges
Mohamed K. ElBatanouny, Gregor Schacht and Guido Bolle
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Bridge load testing in Europe
2.3 Bridge load testing in North America
2.4 The potential of load testing for the evaluation of existing structures
2.5 Summary and conclusions
References

Chapter 3 Current Codes and Guidelines
Eva O. L. Lantsoght
3.1 Introduction
3.2 German guidelines
3.3 British guidelines
3.4 Irish guidelines
3.5 Guidelines in the United States
3.6 French guidelines
3.7 Czech Republic and Slovakia
3.8 Spanish guidelines
3.9 Other countries
3.10 Current developments
3.11 Discussion
3.12 Summary
References

Part II Preparation, Execution, and Post-Processing of Load Tests on Bridges

Chapter 4 General Considerations
Eva O. L. Lantsoght and Jacob W. Schmidt
4.1 Initial considerations
4.2 Types of load tests, and which type of load test to select
4.3 When to load test a bridge, and when not to load test
4.4 Structure type considerations
4.5 Safety requirements during load testing
4.6 Summary and conclusions
References

Chapter 5 Preparation of Load Tests
Eva O. L. Lantsoght and Jacob W. Schmidt
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Determination of test objectives
5.3 Bridge inspection
5.4 Preliminary calculations and development of finite element model
5.5 Planning and preparation of load test
5.6 Summary and conclusions
References

Chapter 6 General Considerations for the Execution of Load Tests
Eva O. L. Lantsoght and Jacob W. Schmidt
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Loading equipment
6.3 Measurement equipment
6.4 Practical aspects of execution
6.5 Summary and conclusions
References

Chapter 7 Post-Processing and Bridge Assessment
Eva O. L. Lantsoght and Jacob W. Schmidt
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Post-processing of measurement data
7.3 Updating finite element model with measurement data
7.4 Bridge assessment
7.5 Formulation of recommendations for maintenance or operation
7.6 Recommendations for reporting of load tests
7.7 Summary and conclusions
References 151

Part III Diagnostic Load Testing of Bridges

Chapter 8 Methodology for Diagnostic Load Testing
Eva O. L. Lantsoght, Jonathan Bonifaz, Telmo A. Sanchez and Devin K. Harris
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Preparation of diagnostic load tests
8.3 Procedures for the execution of diagnostic load testing
8.4 Processing diagnostic load testing results
8.5 Evaluation of diagnostic load testing results
8.6 Summary and conclusions
References
Appendix: Determination of Experimental Rating Factor According to Barker

Chapter 9 Example Field Test to Load Rate a Prestressed Concrete Bridge
Eli S. Hernandez and John J. Myers
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Sample bridge description
9.3 Bridge instrumentation plan
9.4 Diagnostic load test program
9.5 Test results
9.6 Girder distribution factors
9.7 Load rating of Bridge A7957 by field load testing
9.8 Recommendations
9.9 Summary
References

Chapter 10 Example Load Test: Diagnostic Testing of a Concrete Bridge with a Large Skew Angle
Mauricio Diaz Arancibia and Pinar Okumus
10.1 Summary
10.2 Characteristics of the bridge tested
10.3 Goals of load testing
10.4 Preliminary analytical model
10.5 Coordination of the load test
10.6 Instrumentation plan
10.7 Data acquisition
10.8 Loading
10.9 Planning and scheduling
10.10 Redundancy and repeatability
10.11 Results
10.12 Conclusions and recommendations
Ackowledgements
References

Chapter 11 Diagnostic Load Testing of Bridges – Background and Examples of Application
Piotr Olaszek and Joan R. Casas
11.1 Background
11.2 Examples of diagnostic load testing
11.3 Conclusions and recommendations for practice
References

Chapter 12 Field Testing of Pedestrian Bridges
Darius Bačinskas, Ronaldas Jakubovskis and Arturas Kilikevičius
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Preparation for testing
12.3 Organization of the tests
12.4 Analysis of test results
12.5 Theoretical modeling of tested bridge
12.6 Concluding remarks
Acknowledgments
References

Biography

Dr. Lantsoght graduated with a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels, Belgium) in 2008. She later earned a Master's degree in Structural Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) in 2009 and the title of Doctor in Structural Engineering from Technische Universiteit Delft (Delft, the Netherlands) in 2013. The work experience of Dr. Lantsoght includes design work in structural and bridge engineering in Belgium (Establis, and Ney & Partners) and working as an independent consultant in structural engineering in Ecuador (Adstren). Dr. Lantsoght is an active member of the technical committees of the Transportation Research Board in Concrete Bridges (AFF-30) and Testing and Evaluation of Transportation Structures (AFF-40), a member of the technical committees of the American Concrete Institute and Deutscher Ausschuß für Stahlbeton Shear Databases (ACI-DAfStb-445-D), and the joint ACI-ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) committee on Design of Reinforced Concrete Slabs (ACI-ASCE 421), and an associate member of the committees on Evaluation of Concrete Bridges and Concrete Bridge Elements (ACI 342), on Shear and Torsion (ACI-ASCE 445), and on Strength Evaluation of Existing Concrete Structures (ACI 437). In the academic field, Dr. Lantsoght is a full professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Quito, Ecuador) and a researcher at Technische Universiteit Delft (Delft, Netherlands). Her field of research is the design and analysis of concrete structures and analysis of existing bridges.