ABSTRACT
During inspections of Gowanus Expressway Viaduct, cracks in stringer-end copes, stringer webs, and stringer to floor-beam connection angles have been found on a regular basis. In order to understand the behavior of the structural system and determine remaining fatigue life, a WSP/URS Joint Venture performed analytical and experimental studies of the stringer to steel bent connections on the viaduct for NYSDOT.3D finite element models, including a global viaduct model and a detailed connection model, were developed. To validate the modeling approach, diagnostic load testing on one typical span of the viaduct was conducted. Comparisons were made between analytical and experimental results for the rotational stiffness values for stringer–bent connections, stresses in the connection components, and stringer member forces. It is shown that the models can predict the structural responses well, and the analysis results can be used to estimate the remaining fatigue life of the connection components. The analytical study is the primary focus of this paper.
