SERVICE LOAD TEST OF 1 3 SCALE SHELL BRIDGE MODEL/

Due to lack of maintenance, increase in legal loads, and increased tra ffic volumes, several thousands of deficient bridges in the surface tr ansportation system needed to be rehabilitated or replaced. One potent ial solution to several of today's bridge problems is the shell bridge . This system consists of integrated shell-deck concrete segments that are posttensioned together to form a bridge. A 1:3 shell-bridge model was fabricated and service-load tested to determine its behavior when subjected to various load patterns. The model was tested under the ef fect of single concentrated loads as well as simulated American Associ ation of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) HS20-44 t ruck loading. The model was analyzed using the ANSYS finite element pr ogram. The buckling potential due to the posttensioning forces was als o investigated with ANSYS. Fabrication and construction of the 1:3 mod el verified the feasibility of constructing segmental shell bridges. T he integrated shell-deck section exhibited high stiffness and yet is l ighter than conventional systems.