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Thermal Effects in Long-term Monitoring of ASR-Affected PC Gelber Hinge Bridge

Cao Nghia Le 1, Tuan Minh Ha 2, Saiji Fukada 2, and Kazuyuki Torii 2
1. Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa City, Japan
2. Faculty of Geosciences and Civil Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa City, Japan

Abstract—Crack expansion behavior due to temperature changes has a significant influence on the soundness of reinforced concrete bridges. In this study, the expansion of cracks by Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) was investigated using long-term remote monitoring on a four-span pre-stressed concrete (PC) rigid-frame bridge. To evaluate the workability of a deteriorated bridge, instead of only focusing on the deformation of cracks under external loads, the consideration of environmental temperature factor is also needed. By analyzing the relationship between temperature changes and displacement behaviors over time, the ASR-induced crack expansion trend had been obtained. After that, the prediction of ultimate status of this bridge under extreme and normal working conditions was discussed. The monitoring results showed that the ASR-induced cracks are getting wider over time. Furthermore, the results of the study also supported that since the objective bridge is designed with Gelber hinges, there are spaces for deformation between two spans, which make displacement easier to occur throughout the year, from spring to summer in particular. Finally, this study provides information about the relationship between the behavior of a typical ASR-deteriorated PC bridge and environmental thermal effects at a specific time of the year. 

Index Terms—Long-term, Gelber Hinge, Thermal, ASR

Cite: Cao Nghia Le, Tuan Minh Ha, Saiji Fukada, and Kazuyuki Torii, "Thermal Effects in Long-term Monitoring of ASR-Affected PC Gelber Hinge Bridge," International Journal of Structural and Civil Engineering Research, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 34-40, February 2020. doi: 10.18178/ijscer.9.1.34-40

Copyright © 2020 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the article is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.