BR27568 – Experimental Shear Capacity Comparison Between Repaired and Unrepaired Girder Ends

Abstract

Over time, the southbound exterior girder ends on each side of Pier 4 and Pier 26 of Bridge 27568 suffered significant corrosion damage that exposed transverse reinforcement, prestressing strands in the exterior side of the bottom flange and the sole plate anchorages. The girder ends were repaired in 2013 by encasing supplementary steel reinforcement in shotcrete over a 4 ft. length of the girder. The two repaired girders and two companion girders, removed when the bridge was replaced in 2017, were brought to the University of Minnesota and tested to failure in shear to determine the effectiveness of the repair. The laboratory testing showed that the repair was able to return the girders with significant corrosion damage to the strength of the companion girders, indicating that the repair was effective.