Performance evaluation of shear links and orthotropic bridge deck panels for the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

This paper presents results from testing and the associated analytical studies of steel shear links and orthotropic bridge decks to support the design of the new East Span for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Cyclic testing of full-scale built-up links showed that the specimens were able to reach an inelastic rotation more than twice that which would be produced from a 1500-year Safety Evaluation Earthquake event. Nevertheless, brittle fracture occurred before the inelastic design rotation capacity, as specified in the AISC Seismic Provisions, was developed. Based on a parametric study, a modification to the welding details was proposed, which proved to be effective in preventing this type of fracture in a subsequent testing program. Monotonic testing of two reduced-scale orthotropic bridge deck panels, one stiffened with closed ribs and another one with open ribs, also showed that these specimens could develop a compression capacity greater than that which would be produced by the design earthquake. The post-buckling behavior was associated with the buckling direction and the type of ribs. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley T Sons, Ltd.