{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/36791"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/36791","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Investigation of the Structural Behavior of Asphalt/Wood Deck Systems for Girder Bridges","abstract":"Glue laminated wood deck systems are commonly used for bridge decks on girder bridge systems. These decks are usually covered with a hot-mix asphalt wearing surface in conjunction with a bituminized fabric sheet waterproofing membrane. Often cracks occur in the asphalt at the intersection of two adjacent deck panels which limits the useful life of the wear surface, provides a poor riding surface and potentially allows moisture to flow to wooden bridge components. The purpose of this study was to investigate the structural behavior of asphalt/wood/membrane deck systems. This was accomplished experimentally by determining the deflection of bridge deck panels with respect to each other under simulated truck loading. A classical linear analysis model and a finite element analysis model were developed for the deck panel deflections. These analytical results were compared to the experimental results and a value of approximately 0.05 in for the interpanel differential deflection was determined to be a reasonable, conservative value for the typical configuration considered. This deflection was then used to load various asphalt/membrane/ wood configurations to investigate the effectiveness of the arrangement with regards to resisting hot-mix asphalt cracking. It was found that when subjected to repeated deflections of 0.05 in, the following experimental composite bridge deck performed best in terms of reduced cracking: 1) hot-mix asphalt base layer applied directly onto the glulam deck panel; 2) waterproofing membrane placed on the base layer of asphalt; 3) hot-mix asphalt surface layer placed on the waterproofing membrane.","abstract_html":"Glue laminated wood deck systems are commonly used for bridge decks on girder bridge systems. These decks are usually covered with a hot-mix asphalt wearing surface in conjunction with a bituminized fabric sheet waterproofing membrane. Often cracks occur in the asphalt at the intersection of two adjacent deck panels which limits the useful life of the wear surface, provides a poor riding surface and potentially allows moisture to flow to wooden bridge components. The purpose of this study was to investigate the structural behavior of asphalt/wood/membrane deck systems. This was accomplished experimentally by determining the deflection of bridge deck panels with respect to each other under simulated truck loading. A classical linear analysis model and a finite element analysis model were developed for the deck panel deflections. These analytical results were compared to the experimental results and a value of approximately 0.05 in for the interpanel differential deflection was determined to be a reasonable, conservative value for the typical configuration considered. This deflection was then used to load various asphalt/membrane/ wood configurations to investigate the effectiveness of the arrangement with regards to resisting hot-mix asphalt cracking. It was found that when subjected to repeated deflections of 0.05 in, the following experimental composite bridge deck performed best in terms of reduced cracking: 1) hot-mix asphalt base layer applied directly onto the glulam deck panel; 2) waterproofing membrane placed on the base layer of asphalt; 3) hot-mix asphalt surface layer placed on the waterproofing membrane.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Howard, Joseph Neil"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Civil Engineering","degree_department":"Civil Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Dolan, James Daniel"],"committee_members":["Weyers, Richard E."],"year":1997,"date_issued":"1997-03-01","date_published":"1997-03-01","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:03Z","subjects":["Timber Bridge","Deck deflection","Glulam Bridge"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-52597-152950"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-52597-152950","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36791","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Dolan, James Daniel"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Weyers, Richard E."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Civil Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Howard, Joseph Neil"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T20:51:49Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T20:51:49Z","1997-03-01"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1997-03-01"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Civil Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Timber Bridge","Deck deflection","Glulam Bridge"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-52597-152950"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36791"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Glue laminated wood deck systems are commonly used for bridge decks on girder bridge systems. These decks are usually covered with a hot-mix asphalt wearing surface in conjunction with a bituminized fabric sheet waterproofing membrane. Often cracks occur in the asphalt at the intersection of two adjacent deck panels which limits the useful life of the wear surface, provides a poor riding surface and potentially allows moisture to flow to wooden bridge components. The purpose of this study was to investigate the structural behavior of asphalt/wood/membrane deck systems. This was accomplished experimentally by determining the deflection of bridge deck panels with respect to each other under simulated truck loading. A classical linear analysis model and a finite element analysis model were developed for the deck panel deflections. These analytical results were compared to the experimental results and a value of approximately 0.05 in for the interpanel differential deflection was determined to be a reasonable, conservative value for the typical configuration considered. This deflection was then used to load various asphalt/membrane/ wood configurations to investigate the effectiveness of the arrangement with regards to resisting hot-mix asphalt cracking. It was found that when subjected to repeated deflections of 0.05 in, the following experimental composite bridge deck performed best in terms of reduced cracking: 1) hot-mix asphalt base layer applied directly onto the glulam deck panel; 2) waterproofing membrane placed on the base layer of asphalt; 3) hot-mix asphalt surface layer placed on the waterproofing membrane."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Investigation of the Structural Behavior of Asphalt/Wood Deck Systems for Girder Bridges"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Dolan, James Daniel"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Weyers, Richard E."],"dc:contributor.department":["Civil Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Howard, Joseph Neil"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T20:51:49Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T20:51:49Z","1997-03-01"],"dc:date.issued":["1997-03-01"],"dc:description.abstract":["Glue laminated wood deck systems are commonly used for bridge decks on girder bridge systems. These decks are usually covered with a hot-mix asphalt wearing surface in conjunction with a bituminized fabric sheet waterproofing membrane. Often cracks occur in the asphalt at the intersection of two adjacent deck panels which limits the useful life of the wear surface, provides a poor riding surface and potentially allows moisture to flow to wooden bridge components. The purpose of this study was to investigate the structural behavior of asphalt/wood/membrane deck systems. This was accomplished experimentally by determining the deflection of bridge deck panels with respect to each other under simulated truck loading. A classical linear analysis model and a finite element analysis model were developed for the deck panel deflections. These analytical results were compared to the experimental results and a value of approximately 0.05 in for the interpanel differential deflection was determined to be a reasonable, conservative value for the typical configuration considered. This deflection was then used to load various asphalt/membrane/ wood configurations to investigate the effectiveness of the arrangement with regards to resisting hot-mix asphalt cracking. It was found that when subjected to repeated deflections of 0.05 in, the following experimental composite bridge deck performed best in terms of reduced cracking: 1) hot-mix asphalt base layer applied directly onto the glulam deck panel; 2) waterproofing membrane placed on the base layer of asphalt; 3) hot-mix asphalt surface layer placed on the waterproofing membrane."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-52597-152950"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36791"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Timber Bridge","Deck deflection","Glulam Bridge"],"dc:title":["Investigation of the Structural Behavior of Asphalt/Wood Deck Systems for Girder Bridges"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Civil Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:03Z"}