U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
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Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations
| REPORT |
| This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information |
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| Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-21-020 Date: January 2021 |
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-21-020 Date: January 2021 |
PDF Version (816 KB)
This report documents a historical review of the evolution of steel composition, steel properties, and steel bridge design from 1900 to 2015. This effort was conducted in support of the Federal Highway Administration Long-Term Bridge Performance Program to identify changes in steel bridges that may be linked to structural performance. The results documented herein may benefit those generally interested in all aspects of steel bridge design, fabrication, and construction, including State transportation departments, researchers, and design consultants.
Cheryl Allen Richter, P.E., Ph.D.
Director, Office of Infrastructure
Research and Development
Notice
This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document.
The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers' names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document.
Quality Assurance Statement
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.
Technical Report Documentation Page
| 1. Report No.
FHWA-HRT-21-020 |
2. Government Accession No. | 3. Recipient's Catalog No. | ||
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| 4. Title and Subtitle
Historical Changes to Steel Bridge Design, Composition, and Properties |
5. Report Date
January 2021 |
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| 6. Performing Organization Code HRDI-40 |
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| 7. Author(s)
Justin Ocel, Ph.D., P.E. (HRDI-40; ORCID: 0000-0002-0176-7276) |
8. Performing Organization Report No. | |||
| 9. Performing Organization Name and Address
Office of Infrastructure Research and Development |
10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) | |||
| 11. Contract or Grant No. | ||||
| 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
Office of Infrastructure Research and Development |
13. Type of Report and Period Covered
Final Report; June 2015–February 2020 |
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| 14. Sponsoring Agency Code
HRDI-40 |
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| 15. Supplementary Notes
This was a staff study; no funds were expended performing this effort. Justin Ocel (HRDI-40) performed the historical review and wrote the report. |
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| 16. Abstract
This report presents a succinct view of historical steel bridge design with an emphasis on the evolution of the steel itself, including a summary of American Society for Testing and Materials and American Association of State Highway Officials/American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials steel specifications used in steel bridges and their tensile, chemical, and impact energy requirements. A timeline of major design changes, such as welding and bolting, composite design, and fatigue design, is presented. |
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| 17. Key Words
Steel bridges, bridge design, welding, bolting, steel properties, AASHTO, AASHO, ASTM, historic steel |
18. Distribution Statement
No restrictions. This document is available through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161. |
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| 19. Security Classification (of this report) Unclassified |
20. Security Classification (of this page) Unclassified |
21. No. of Pages
67 |
22. Price
N/A |
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| Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) | Reproduction of completed page authorized |
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