Improving Rating Aids for the Evaluation of Existing Concrete Culverts in Tennessee

US Transportation Collection2015PDFTech ReportHuo, Sharon X.Bartrom, BrandonKaufman, HeathTennessee Technological University. Center for Energy Systems ResearchTennessee. Department of TransportationUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway AdministrationTennessee. Department of TransportationTennesseeUnited StatesConcrete culvertsReinforced concrete culvertsRatingsConcrete bridgesSlabsBRASS CulvertRating AidsRating factorsReinforced concrete culverts28012 \u2013 ED 1236527 (RES2013-35)RES2013-35Final ReportWithin the Tennessee transportation system, TDOT is responsible for nearly 20,000 highway bridges/transportation structures. Approximately 44% of these structures are classified as culverts. Existing culverts in Tennessee date back as far as 1905 and some of these culverts need to be evaluated for their structural capacity due to aging and wear. Additionally, all culverts that have been designed, built, and maintained by TDOT have to be in compliance with the load rating requirements of the NBIS. The main objective of this research project was to improve upon a set of rating aids that were developed to assist in the assessment of reinforced concrete culverts in Tennessee. Literature reviews were conducted on relevant material for the analyses presented in this paper. After the literature reviews were completed, culverts were modeled in multiple programs to begin the analyses. The analyses include: a verification analysis, a horizontal soil pressure analysis, a rating factor analysis for TDOT dump truck loads, a shear capacity and shear rating factor analysis, and a moment continuity analysis. One of the objectives of this research project was to improve the Culvert Rating Aids to better assist in the assessment of culverts in Tennessee. The improvements included additions of unique features that created a user-friendly interface for the navigation of both the box and slab culvert Rating Aids. Use of the improved Rating Aids only requires a few basic culvert details such as the year they were made, number of cells, cell size, and skew angle, and the Rating Aids best meet the needs of rating engineers for culvert assessment.120