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WIM BASED LIVE LOAD FACTORS FOR CONSISTENT ILLINOIS BRIDGE RELIABILITY
Title
WIM BASED LIVE LOAD FACTORS FOR CONSISTENT ILLINOIS BRIDGE RELIABILITY
Creator
Chi, Jingya
Date
2019
Description
The Load and Resistance Factor Rating (LRFR) approach was developed in the early 2000s. The live-load factors were calibrated at that time so...
Show moreThe Load and Resistance Factor Rating (LRFR) approach was developed in the early 2000s. The live-load factors were calibrated at that time so that bridges rated by the LRFR approach could achieve a uniform structural reliability. However, the first calibration of the live-load factors was intent on the applications to the entire nation, without considering state-specific traffic conditions and truck restrictions. In addition, the calibration was carried out using limited data collected from the weigh stations of Ontario, Canada, in the 1970s. Therefore, to develop a practice that is consistent with the current LRFR approach as well as considering the state-specific live-load effects has motivated us to conduct this study.We study the weigh-in-motion (WIM) data that have been collected by the Department of Transportation of several states (i.e., Michigan, New York, Minnesota, California, Illinois, Oregon, Kentucky and Pennsylvania). These data contain approximate four years (i.e., from 2013 to 2017) of continuously-recorded trucks. They provide the information about truck weight and configuration, as well as the truck traffic pattern. In this research, we focus on the data collected by the Illinois DOT to calibrate live-load factors for the Illinois LRFR highway bridge evaluation.We first propose and verify a simulation method to statistically restore the missing trucks in the second lanes in the Illinois data. Based on the concept of relative calibration, we propose 3 sets of live-load factors for the Illinois legal, routine permit and special permit load ratings. Then we conduct a sensitivity analysis on the overweight trucks. Finally, we study the effect of law enforcement on the calibration.
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CONCEPTUAL COST ESTIMATION MODEL FOR BRIDGES WITH RESPECT TO ABC METHODS
Title
CONCEPTUAL COST ESTIMATION MODEL FOR BRIDGES WITH RESPECT TO ABC METHODS
Creator
Rajeei, Farshad
Date
2020
Description
As the need for renovating and repairing structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges is increased, employing innovative methods...
Show moreAs the need for renovating and repairing structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges is increased, employing innovative methods which can lead to shorter construction time, better quality, longer durability, and less life-cycle costs become more popular in transportation agencies.Developing a model that has the capability of estimating the total construction cost of ABC projects and compare them with conventional methods costs [without using these methods] will help decision-makers at DOTs in understanding and assessing the benefits and costs of ABC methods at the planning phase of a project and in return, will lead to the elaboration in the use of ABC methods versus the conventional ones. But this decision making process is complicated since the number of executed ABC projects, especially those which done by SIBC and SPMT [two superstructure replacement method] is limited and as a result; there is a lack of historical knowledge to estimate the associated cost of these methods in future projects. Factors affecting this process include but are not limited to: construction costs, user costs, quality of work, impact on traffic, the safety of road users and construction workers, and the impact on surrounding communities and businesses. The main aim of this study is to make a model to estimate additional costs of using SIBC and SPMT methods and the saving in user costs.
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