The Impact of Asphalt Wearing Surface Thickness on Response of Two-Span Continuous Cast-in-Place Prestressed Concrete Box Girder Highway Bridge

Abstract

This paper presents the finite element analysis (FEA) results of a two-span continuous cast-in-place prestressed concrete box girder highway bridge with various asphalt wearing surface thicknesses. The benefits of the FEA can be extremely valued when visualizing the substantial cost and time savings, the potential of signifying any attractive response at any location in the system and at any load value and, and the capability to modify any constraint of interest. Based on the analysis results, asphalt wearing surface thicknesses considerably enhances the ultimate positive and negative moments, ultimate deflection, and ultimate positive and negative stress. The stress due to truck load were below the allowable tensile and compressive strength of deck as well as the asphalt wearing surface had a strong impact on the positive stress, moderate impact on the ultimate moment and corresponding deflection, and small impact on negative stress.