Large-Scale Laboratory Observations of Wave Forces on a Highway Bridge Superstructure

摘要

The experimental setup and data are presented for a laboratory experiment conducted to examine realistic wave forcing on a highway bridge superstructure. The experiments measure wave conditions along with the resulting forces, pressures, and structural response of a 1:5 scale, reinforced concrete model of a typical section of the I-10 Bridge over Escambia Bay, Florida that failed during Hurricane Ivan in 2004. A unique feature of this model is its roller and rail system which allowed the specimen to move freely along the axis of wave propagation to simulate the dynamic response of the structure. The data are analyzed to study the relative importance of the impulse load versus the sustained wave load, the magnitudes of the horizontal to vertical forces, and their time histories to identify the modes of failure. The thesis examines the relationship between measured forces and wave momentum flux. The measured forces are also compared to recently published AASHTO guidelines. The author evaluates the distribution of forces under random wave conditions and proposes a method that calculates design loads based on exceedance probabilities.