A Proposal of Durability Assessment for Existing Bridge Decks Subjected to Heavy Traffic

A damage progress of RC slab which had been obtained in past experiments under the high cycle moving load was simulated by using nonlinear finite element analysis. The progress of deflection and the strain of reinforcing bar show good agreement with past experiments. The fatigue life can be also reasonably predicted. Furthermore, the effect of 70mm thick asphalt pavement was also examined in the simulation. Based on this analysis, three simple indexes; normalized mid-span deflection, increment of curvature and growth rate of acceleration at the center of slab, were proposed to know the damage state of existing bridge deck. The applicability of the indexes is also discussed from the practical view point. Consequently, the possibility to combine the concept of the indexes to the current measuring method is shown