TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*

OFFICERS

CHAIR: Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston

VICE CHAIR: Leslie S. Richards, General Manager, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Victoria Sheehan, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC

MEMBERS

Michael F. Ableson, CEO, Arrival Automotive–North America, Detroit, MI

James F. Albaugh, President and CEO, The Boeing Company (retired), Scottsdale, AZ

Carlos M. Braceras, Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake City

Douglas C. Ceva, Vice President, Customer Lead Solutions, Prologis, Inc., Jupiter, FL

Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul

Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation, Albany

Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington

Chris T. Hendrickson, Hamerschlag University Professor of Engineering Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Randell Iwasaki, President and CEO, Iwasaki Consulting Services, Walnut Creek, CA

Ashby Johnson, Executive Director, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), Austin, TX

Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre

Hani S. Mahmassani, W.A. Patterson Distinguished Chair in Transportation; Director, Transportation Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Scott C. Marler, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames

Ricardo Martinez, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA

Michael R. McClellan, Vice President, Strategic Planning, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Atlanta, GA

Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta

Craig E. Philip, Research Professor and Director, VECTOR, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Steward T.A. Pickett, Distinguished Senior Scientist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY

Susan A. Shaheen, Professor and Co-director, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, University of California, Berkeley

Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Michael R. Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC

Amit Bose, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC

Tristan Brown, Deputy Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Steven Cliff, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board, Sacramento

Rand Ghayad, Senior Vice President, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC

LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Germantown, MD

Robert C. Hampshire, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Jason Kelly, Deputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC

Zahra “Niloo” Parvinashtiani, Engineer, Mobility Consultant Solutions, Iteris Inc., Fairfax, VA, and Chair, TRB Young Members Coordinating Council

Ann Phillips (Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, retired), Maritime Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Sophie Shulman, Deputy Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC

Karl Simon, Director, Transportation and Climate Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC

Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Jim Tymon, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC

Veronica Vanterpool, Acting Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC

Michael Whitaker, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Kristin White, Acting Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Vinn White, Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Washington, DC

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM

Systematic, well-designed, and implementable research is the most effective way to solve many problems facing state departments of transportation (DOTs) administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local or regional interest and can best be studied by state DOTs individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation results in increasingly complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research.

Recognizing this need, the leadership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 1962 initiated an objective national highway research program using modern scientific techniques—the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). NCHRP is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of AASHTO and receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), United States Department of Transportation, under Agreement No. 693JJ31950003.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was requested by AASHTO to administer the research program because of TRB’s recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. TRB is uniquely suited for this purpose for many reasons: TRB maintains an extensive committee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; TRB possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; TRB’s relationship to the National Academies is an insurance of objectivity; and TRB maintains a full-time staff of specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those in a position to use them.

The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified by chief administrators and other staff of the highway and transportation departments, by committees of AASHTO, and by the FHWA. Topics of the highest merit are selected by the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation (R&I), and each year R&I’s recommendations are proposed to the AASHTO Board of Directors and the National Academies. Research projects to address these topics are defined by NCHRP, and qualified research agencies are selected from submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Academies and TRB.

The needs for highway research are many, and NCHRP can make significant contributions to solving highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement, rather than to substitute for or duplicate, other highway research programs.

NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1128

Project 12-123
ISSN 2572-3766 (Print)
ISSN 2572-3774 (Online)
ISBN 978-0-309-73186-7
Library of Congress Control Number 2024950821
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/28597

© 2024 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.

Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.

NOTICE

The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the FHWA; or the program sponsors.

The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.

The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

Published research reports of the

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM

are available from

National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360
Washington, DC 20001

(800) 624-6242

and can be ordered through the Internet by going to
https://nap.nationalacademies.org

Printed in the United States of America

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.

Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major program divisions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to mobilize expertise, experience, and knowledge to anticipate and solve complex transportation-related challenges. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 8,500 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state departments of transportation, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation.

Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS

CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1128

Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs

Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs, and Manager, National Cooperative Highway Research Program

Ahmad Abu-Hawash, Senior Program Officer

Sheila A. Moore, Program Associate

Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications

Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications

Kami Cabral, Editor

NCHRP PROJECT 12-123 PANEL
Field of Design—Area of Bridges

Zhengzheng Fu, Kiewit Infrastructure Engineers, Baton Rouge, LA (Chair)

Yihong Gao, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Oakdale, MN

George Chaojie Huang, California Department of Transportation, Davis, CA

Sonia Lowry, Washington State Department of Transportation, Olympia, WA

Z. John Ma, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN

Randale Shinn, HDR, Denver, CO

Matthew Weidele, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Boston, MA

Lubin Gao, FHWA Liaison

Patricia Bush, AASHTO Liaison

FOREWORD

By Ahmad Abu-Hawash
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board

NCHRP Research Report 1128: Load Rating of Segmental Bridges presents procedures for load rating of segmental bridges. The proposed recommendations were developed based on extensive review of the state of practice of the evaluation of segmental bridges and comprehensive analytical programs. The research findings will be used by bridge load rating professionals at state departments of transportation.

A segmental bridge is constructed in short sections or segments that are either precast or cast-in-place concrete. Segmental bridges were first built in the United States in the 1970s and have proven to be an efficient design for long-span bridges. The earliest segmental bridges were designed, constructed, and load rated using methods that were not codified by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and differ significantly from the current AASHTO load and resistance factor design (LRFD), load factor rating (LFR), and load and resistance factor rating (LRFR) methodologies. As a result, the use of current AASHTO LFR and LRFR methodologies to load rate existing segmental bridges has resulted in a significant capacity reduction in comparison to the old load rating procedures. In addition, there are limited resources for owners and consultants to accurately load rate segmental bridges. There was a need to develop load rating procedures to accurately determine the load rating capacity of segmental bridges to ensure safety and mobility.

Under NCHRP Project 12-123, “Proposed AASHTO Guideline for Load Rating of Segmental Bridges,” Auburn University was asked to (1) develop procedures for load rating of segmental bridges, (2) propose revisions to the current segmental bridge evaluation and design requirements, and (3) develop rating examples with supporting training materials to demonstrate the proposed procedures and revisions. In addition to the proposed Guideline, the research team proposed draft language for consideration by AASHTO in the next update of The Manual for Bridge Evaluation and the LRFD Bridge Design Specifications for the rating of segmental bridges.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Literature Review

2.1 AASHTO’s The Manual for Bridge Evaluation

2.2 Calibration of LRFD Concrete Bridge Design Specifications for Serviceability

2.3 Deterioration of Segmental Bridges

2.4 Condition Factors in Load Rating

2.5 System Redundancy

2.6 Analysis in the Longitudinal Direction

2.7 Analysis in the Transverse Direction

2.8 Inventory versus Operating Load Rating Procedures

Chapter 3 Literature Synthesis and Gaps

3.1 AASHTO MBE—Segmental Bridge Sections

3.2 Calibration of Concrete Bridges for Serviceability

3.3 Deterioration of Segmental Bridges

3.4 Condition Factors in Load Rating

3.5 General Rating Equation for Load Rating

Chapter 4 Proposed Analytical Program for Load Rating

4.1 General Program

4.2 Comparative Analyses

4.3 Compare Analysis Results with Field Data

Chapter 5 Guideline for Load Rating Concrete Segmental Bridges

5.1 Proposed Outline for the Guideline

5.2 Example 1: Concrete Segmental Bridge Constructed with the Span-by-Span Method

5.3 Example 2: Concrete Segmental Bridge Constructed with the Cast-in-Place Balanced Cantilever Method

5.4 Example 3: Concrete Segmental Bridge Constructed with the Incremental Launching Method

5.5 Example 4: Concrete Segmental Bridge Constructed with the Cable-Stayed Method

Chapter 6 Execution of the Analytical Program

6.1 Selection of the Set of Concrete Segmental Bridges

6.2 Data Collection

6.3 Selection of Limit States

6.4 Comparative Analysis That Includes Comparison with Field Data

6.5 Reliability Assessment of Service and Strength Limit States

Chapter 7 Summary of Conclusions

References

Appendix A Literature Review

Appendix B Live Load Models Based on National Weigh-in-Motion Data and Permit Data