Parametric Study on Transversely Cracked Precast Prestressed Concrete Bridge Deck Girders with Rectangular Voids

Transverse cracks in precast prestressed concrete (PPC) bridge deck girders cause a notable increase in strand stresses and adversely affect the cracked girder’s capacity and durability. This numerical study analyzes the impact of transverse cracks on the behavior of PPC bridge deck girders by relating the crack width to the residual capacity, stresses, and load rating of the cracked girders. A non-linear finite element (FE) model is developed to understand the behavior and predict the stresses in an in-service PPC bridge deck girder damaged by a transverse crack. The residual capacity and built-up stresses obtained from the FE model are used in the load rating analysis of the cracked PPC bridge deck girder. A parametric study is conducted to understand the effect of the influencing parameters, such as the girder geometry and material properties, on the damaged girder’s behavior. For an 838 mm × 914 mm PPC deck girder, the statistically significant parameters are found to be the span length (L), strand diameter (d_b), and skew angle ((Formula presented.)). From the numerical analysis of the in-service PPC bridge deck girder, the load rating is predicted to be governed by the capacity for the existing 0.25 mm crack. In the parametric study of the 838 mm × 914 mm PPC deck girder, the inventory rating factor of the prestressing strands in tension is predicted to decrease linearly for crack width up to 0.64 mm, while the capacity inventory rating factor is predicted to decrease by up to 73.8% for the crack width of 0.64 mm.