Bridge Rating of Girder-Slab Bridges with Automated Finite Element ModelingTechniques

摘要

The research is part of an on-going program to develop better bridge ratingsystems using finite element technology. Originally, a lateral load distribution factor program, SALOD, was developed for design and rating of simple span bridges. SALOD is now routinely used by the FDOT. A complete bridge rating system, BRUFEM, is now being developed that will be able to handle the vast majority of the bridges in Florida using a finite element model for the analyses. BRUFEM consists of four FORTRAN programs: (1) a preprocessor for steel and concrete bridges, BRUFEM1, that develops a finite element model from a relatively small amount of input data and prepares input files for the finite element program; (2) a finite element program, SIMPAL, that solves the model created by the person using the preprocessor and outputs the results of the finite element analyses for printing and post-processing; (3) a post-processor, BRUFEM3, that reads unformatted SIMPAL output files and does the bridge rating based on the appropriate service level or strength criteria (the post-processor is now developed to handle both pretensioned simple spans and post-tensioned continuous spans, tee beam and flat slab bridges); and (4) a graphics post-processor.