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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 |
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-21-037 Date: May 2021 |
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-21-037 Date: May 2021 |
PDF Version (4.32 MB)
The bump at the end of the bridge (BEB) is one of the most prevalent factors impacting ride quality at a bridge's approach and departure and can be a safety hazard to motorists. Its causes, along with mitigation strategies, have been well researched, yet the BEB remains ubiquitous, leading to chronic maintenance activities. This report details the data collected from inertial pavement profilers used to quantify the BEB at numerous bridge approaches across the country. Many of the bridge approaches measured included Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil—Integrated Bridge Systems which were compared with bridge approach profiles for conventional abutment types. This report also presents statistical analyses of the profile data to evaluate the effects of different site and bridge structure characteristics on BEB magnitude and ride quality. This report may be useful for geotechnical, bridge, and pavement engineers, consultants, and contractors.
Cheryl Allen Richter, Ph.D., P.E.
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.
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Technical Report Documentation Page
1. Report No.
FHWA-HRT-21-037 |
2. Government Accession No. | 3. Recipient's Catalog No. | ||
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4. Title and Subtitle
Statistical Analysis of Pavement Profiler Data to Evaluate the Bump at the End of the Bridge |
5. Report Date
May 2021 |
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6. Performing Organization Code 1YX01 |
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7. Author(s)
Debakanta Mishra (ORCID: 0000-0003-2354-1312), Jenn McAtee (ORCID: 0000-0003-1547-7592), Md Shahjalal Chowdhury (ORCID: 0000-0003-2134-880X), Bhaskar Chittoori (ORCID: 0000-0001-8583-1003), Erol Tutumluer (ORCID: 0000-0003-3945-167X), and Jennifer Nicks, Ph.D., P.E. (HRDI-40; ORCID: 0000-0001-7230-3578) |
8. Performing Organization Report No. | |||
9. Performing Organization Name and Address
Engineering & Software Consultants, Inc. |
10. Work Unit No. | |||
11. Contract or Grant No.
DTFH6117D00011L/693JJ318F000070 |
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12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
Office of Infrastructure Research and Development |
13. Type of Report and Period Covered
Technical Report; March 2018–June 2020 |
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14. Sponsoring Agency Code
HRDI-40 |
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15. Supplementary Notes
The Task Order Contracting Officer's Representative was Jennifer Nicks, Ph.D., P.E. (HRDI-40; ORCID: 0000-0001-7230-3578). |
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16. Abstract
The roughness experienced at bridge approaches and departures, generally termed the bump at the end of the bridge (BEB), has been identified as one of the most prominent issues in the transportation industry. The BEB is usually detected qualitatively based on road user feedback, with maintenance strategies subsequently implemented to improve ride quality. The BEB and road roughness can cause many issues beyond user discomfort, including driving safety concerns, vehicle damage, increased maintenance requirements for both automobiles and bridge infrastructure, and decreased bridge service life. The BEB is a complex issue caused by multiple interactive factors. Several research efforts have focused on identifying factors contributing to the BEB problem and identifying suitable remedial measures; however, quantitative approaches should be employed to establish standardized "ride quality indices" that can be used among engineers to evaluate the condition of a particular bridge approach and subsequently evaluate the need for maintenance and rehabilitation efforts. Researchers explored potential methods, such as the International Roughness Index and rolling straightedge measurements, to quantify the roughness at bridge approaches and analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of each. The surface profiles for a sample of 66 bridges across the United States were evaluated using multiple segment lengths and filters in ProVAL (The Transtec Group 2015) to statistically analyze the effects of different site and bridge structure characteristics on the magnitude and roughness of the BEB. A segment length of 0.31 m (1 ft) was determined the most appropriate for bridge approach analyses. This report presents findings from this study and makes inferences regarding what factors may have the most significant effect on the BEB problem. |
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17. Key Words
Bump at the end of the bridge, BEB, inertial profiler, International Roughness Index, IRI, rolling straightedge, RSE, bridge approach roughness |
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
92 |
22. Price
N/A |
Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) | Reproduction of completed page authorized |
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