Researchers
Principal Investigator
Terry Wipf
Principal Investigator
Wayne Klaiber
About the research
Longitudinal deck bridges have the potential to provide a cost effective short span alternative. In the early stages of the bridge concept development, very little data existed regarding the design of these bridge types, although some experimental laboratory testing had been performed. An analytical study was performed by Iowa State University to develop design recommendations suitable for the AASHTO Bridge Design Specifications. The analytical models, using finite element procedures, were validated using existing experimental data by others. The design recommendations focused on the load distribution of the deck panels based on common stiffener beam spacing, connectivity and geometry.
