NONDESTRUCTIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE TESTING OF DECOMMISSIONED REINFORCED CONCRETE SLAB HIGHWAY BRIDGE AND ASSOCIATED ANALYTICAL STUDIES

Recently there have been many examples of undesirable bridge performance under service loads and scour and after floods and earthquakes. There is also evidence that, according to present inspection and rating procedures, a large number of bridges may be deemed structurally deficient without justification. Many reinforced concrete (RC) slab bridges are now being replaced without taking full advantage of their inherent capacities because of a lack of understanding and knowledge of the effects of deterioration and aging on these bridges. To establish procedures to allow for the full utilization of RC slab bridge capacity, a 38-year-old sample was loaded to failure. The bridge, which was decommissioned because of its age and deteriorated state, endured the equivalent loading of 22 rating trucks before failure.