Advancing Accelerated Bridge Construction Including a Novel Deployable Tool for Cross-Frame Installation

This research advances accelerated bridge construction (ABC) by addressing key barriers to its implementation in Indiana and developing innovative solutions to improve constructability. ABC offers benefits, including reduced road user impacts, improved construction quality, and enhanced safety. However, adoption in Indiana remains limited. This study aims to increase ABC utilization in Indiana by: (1) identifying challenges hindering ABC implementation, (2) providing a system-level analysis tool, developed to score all bridges in the Indiana inventory according to their ABC suitability, and (3) providing recommendations for ABC wider adoption in Indiana.
Beyond evaluating ABC adoption, this thesis investigates a novel deployable tool to facilitate cross-frame installation in highly skewed and curved steel girder bridges, where differential vertical displacements and/or rotations create fit-up challenges. The tool, consisting of a double-acting hydraulic jack and two tension members, enables cross-frame installation without force-fitting. The tool’s efficacy was evaluated through finite element (FE) analyses and experimental testing using a one-quarter scale setup representing a portion of a built bridge during erection. Seven test scenarios were evaluated varying differential vertical displacement and rotation, confirming the tool’s effectiveness in adjusting girder geometry for cross-frame installation without force-fitting.
This study advances bridge construction by (1) providing tools and recommendations for increasing ABC adoption in Indiana and (2) numerically and experimentally investigating a deployable tool to facilitate cross-frame installation for highly skewed and curved steel girder bridges. The findings enhance construction efficiency, safety, and project delivery.