Damage investigation through dynamic characteristics of existing bridge deck panels

Abstract

<p>Reinforced concrete (RC) deck slabs are often observed to be deteriorated due to reinforcement corrosion leading to horizontal cracks within the slabs which are difficult to judge by visual inspection. This study focuses on investigating damage and deterioration of RC deck panels of an existing steel girder bridge using modal parameters identified through vibration measurements and finite element (FE) analysis. In the analytical models, to incorporate the actual bridge deterioration at different locations, the results of visual inspection and compressive strength test of deck panels were used. Deck panel in a relatively healthy state was chosen as reference. For damaged panels, two models were considered in the FE analysis; first with reduced Young’s modulus and second with horizontal cracks at different locations. The comparison of experimental and analytical results led to consider the possibility of existence of horizontal cracks within the damaged deck panels.</p>