Full Load Test for the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway Bridge (PSC Girder: 35 M)

Abstract

The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway consists of an asymmetric cable-stayed bridge (340 m) and a prestressed concrete (PSC) box girder bridge (35.80 km) linking Kuwait City and Northern Kuwait. The full load tests were performed on the PSC box girder bridge and the load scale was set to 14,092 kNm which was 98.47% of the maximum design moment (14,310 kNm). A total of 12 individual 40 tonf dump trucks were exerted on the bridge for the tests. Based on the influence line of the target bridge, displacement sensors, and strain gauges were installed at the points where the maximum bending moment would occur. The collected deflection and strain data were compared with the finite element method analysis to analyze the change in stiffness of the bridge. From the analysis, it was found that higher stiffness behavior was identified compared to the design load.

Keywords

• full load test
• stress analysis
• finite element method analysis
• stiffness
• deflection
• strain