Comparison of the Serviceability Performance of Deflection Criteria for Conventional and High Performance Bridges

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and compare the serviceability performance of deflection criteria for conventional and high performance bridges in terms of applicability and reliability. Experimental studies were performed on fourteen test bridges that represent typical types of conventional and high performance bridges. The measured vibrational characteristics are compared with those from theoretical models to verify the validity of the theoretical models. The verified bridge models are then used to calculate the deflection due to test trucks as well as normal truck traffic collected from a Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) system. To investigate the probabilistic characteristics, the mean maximum deflection for different time periods are determined via extrapolation. Statistical parameters of the probability distribution of deflection are also determined, and then the probabilities of failure and reliability indices are calculated. Finally, the applicability of design code is investigated and compared between conventional and high performance bridges.