Long‐Term Bridge Performance P

Strategic Bridge Performance M

TRB 93rd Annual Meeting

LTBP Program Workshop – Program Briefing

Washington, DC – Thursday January 16, 2014

Robert Zobel, Ph.D., P.E.

Technical and Development EngineerLong‐Term Bridge Performance Program

Federal Highway Administration

Hamid Ghasemi, Ph.D.

Team Leader/Program ManagerFederal Highway Administration

S

Outreach and Developm

Federal Highway Ad

To

Structural/Bri

Federal Highway Ad
Presentation Outline

• Identification of high priority bridge 

performance topics

• Strategic matrices for high priority topics• Description of Strategic matrix as a “roadmap

achieve program goals

• Operational Matrix
• High‐Priority Priority Performance Performance Topics >>

CATEGORY ISSUEDecks Untreated Concrete Bridge DecksDecks Treated Concrete Bridge Decks

Joints & Bearings Bridge Deck JointsSteel Bridges Coatings for Steel Superstructure ElementsConcrete Bridges Embedded or Ducted Strands or Tendons

Based on input from stakeholders and considering cur

resources of the program, the following key topics are

addressed:
Presentation Outline

• Identification of high priority bridge performan

topics

• Strategic matrices for high priority topics• Description of Strategic matrix as a “roadmap

achieve program goals

• Operational Matrix
Strategic Strategic Performance Performance Matrix>>

What is the LTBP Strategic Performanc

It is high level generic framework or roadmap ouLTBP research process that can be applied to ANhigh priority performance topic.It is NOT intended to provide detail on what data nor how to analyze or interpret it. This informatioin a corresponding Operational Matrix which is 

under development (but we’ll take a sneak peak 
• Strategic Strategic Bridge

‐Performance Performance Matrix: Matrix: Untreated Untreated Bridge Decks >>
• Strategic Strategic Bridge

‐Performance Performance Matrix: Matrix: Concrete Concrete Bridge Deck Treatme
• Strategic Strategic Bridge

‐Performance Performance Matrix: Matrix: Joints

& Bearings Bearings>>
• Strategic Strategic Bridge

‐Performance Performance Matrix: Matrix: Coatings Coatings for Steel Components Components
• Strategic Strategic Bridge

‐Performance Performance Matrix: Matrix: Embedded Embedded or Ducted Strands Strands o
Presentation Outline

• Identification of high priority bridge performan

topics

• Strategic matrices for high priority topics• Description of Strategic matrix as a “road

to achieve program goals

• Operational Matrix & its components
Object

Questions to be answered• “Practical”• “Fundamental” Hypotheses What causal factors that 

may govern the 

performance of Interest

Solution

Design of Experiment

Sampling

Paper Study

Field Data Collection

Data Analysis

Outcomes

Research Research Approach Approach & Methodology: Methodology: Description 

D
Object

Questions to be answered• “Practical”• “Fundamental” Hypotheses What causal factors that 

may govern the 

performance of Interest

Solution

Design of Experiment

Sampling

Paper Study

Field Data Collection

Data Analysis

Outcomes

Research Research Research Research Methodology Methodology Approach Approach & Methodology: Methodology: & Approach Approach>> Description 

D
To define and improve bridge health and performance fo

safety, mobility, stewardship and asset management thro

• Standardization and enhanced 

inspection techniques and criteria

• Enhanced design, construction, 

preservation and operating practices from probabilistic datadriven tools

Untreated Untreated Research Research Approach Approach Bridge Decks & Methodology: Methodology: – Overarching – Overarching Objectives Objectives Description >>

D
Object

Questions to be answered• “Practical”• “Fundamental” Hypotheses What causal factors that 

may govern the 

performance of Interest

Solution

Design of Experiment

Sampling

Paper Study

Field Data Collection

Data Analysis

Outcomes

Research Research Research Research Methodology Methodology Approach Approach & Methodology: Methodology: & Approach Approach>> Description 

D
Untreated Decks – Questions to be answered

Practical (Providing Actionable Information)•How should an untreated concrete deck be inspected?•When should an untreated concrete deck be inspected?•How should an untreated deck be preserved or replaced?•When should an existing deck be preserved or replaced?•How should an untreated concrete deck be designed and constructed?Fundamental (Underpin Forecasting and Asset Management)•How does live load influence performance?•How do environmental factors influence performance?•How does the design of the untreated concrete deck (e.g., cover) influence its •How do structural characteristics (e.g., flexibility) of a bridge influence perform•How do preservation activities influence performance?

Research Research Research Research Methodology Methodology Approach Approach & Methodology: Methodology: & Approach Approach>> Description 

D
Object

Questions to be answered• “Practical”• “Fundamental” Hypotheses What are the causal 

factors that may govern the 

performance of Interest

Solution

Design of Experiment

Sampling

Paper Study

Field Data Collection

Data Analysis

Outcomes

Research Research Methodology Methodology & Approachrix Approachrix >>

Example: Untreated Bridge Decks

Research Research Approach Approach & Methodology: Methodology: Description 

D
Untreated Decks – Hypotheses

The observed deterioration of bridge decks is caused by t

and combined influences of...

• Environment – Precipitation, Temperature, Proximity to the coa

Age/deterioration

• Deck Design – Cover, Rebar type, Concrete mix, Proportioning o

SIP forms

• Bridge Design – Span length, Girder stiffness, Girder spacing, An

Bridge/approach profile

• Live Load – Frequency, Axle weights & spacings, Speed

• Owner Actions – De‐icing, Level of preservation, Load permittin

practices

These factors are the hypothesized “Inputs” to

the process of bridge deck performance

Research Research Research Research Methodology Methodology Approach Approach & Methodology: Methodology: & Approach Approach>> Description 

D
Object

Questions to be answered• “Practical”• “Fundamental” Hypotheses What causal factors that 

may govern the 

performance of Interest

Solution

Design of Experiment

Sampling

Paper Study

Field Data Collection

Data Analysis

Outcomes

Research Research Methodology Methodology & Approach Approach>>

Example: Untreated Bridge Decks

Research Research Approach Approach & Methodology: Methodology: Description 

D
Untreated Decks – Solution

1. Design an appropriate experiment for addressing the practical and

fundamental questions

2. Select a network of bridges (reference and clusters) as the primary

population source

3. Conduct paper study (tacit/legacy data collection)

4. If the paper study proves inconclusive, conduct field data collection 

the appropriate LTBP data collection protocols

5. Handle all data management through the LTBP Portal

6. Conduct data analysis

a) Develop deterioration models

b) Develop life‐cycle cost models

7. Address the question

de

“Operationa

Research Research Research Research Methodology Methodology Approach Approach & Methodology: Methodology: & Approach Approach>> Description 

D
Strategic Matrix

Object

Questions to be answered• “Practical”• “Fundamental” Hypotheses

What causal factors that 

may govern the 

performance of Interest

Solution

Design of Experiment

Sampling

Paper Study

Field Data Collection

Data Analysis

Outcomes

Research Research Research Research Methodology Methodology Approach Approach & Methodology: Methodology: & Approach Approach>> Description 

D
Untreated Decks – Outcomes

Question: How should an untreated concrete deck be inspected?Outcome: Best practices in NDE and SHM techniques for untreated concreQuestion: When should an untreated concrete deck be inspected?Outcome: Data‐driven, reliability‐based inspection intervals & criteria for 

decks

Question: How should an untreated deck be preserved or replaced?

When should an existing deck be preserved or replaced?

How should an untreated concrete deck be designed and constructed?

Outcome: Data‐driven deterioration models for untreated concrete decks

a) data‐driven life‐cycle cost models for preservation and replaceme

untreated concrete decks

b) data‐driven life‐cycle cost models for design and construction pra

bridge decks

Research Research Research Research Methodology Methodology Approach Approach & Methodology: Methodology: & Approach Approach>> Description 

D
Presentation Outline

• Identification of high priority bridge performan

topics

• Strategic matrices for high priority topics• Description of Strategic matrix as a “roadmap

achieve program goals

• Operational Matrix
An example of what this looks like in concept .....

Research Research Operational Operational Matrix>>

Two Components of Operational Matr(There is a layer of Matrix for Each High Priority Performance Issue)Data Collection

• Pre-Field Visit• Field Visit

Data Analysis

• Data Reduction, processing, visualization• Data Interpretation
Research Research Operational Operational Matrix>>

Data Collection 
Long‐Term Bridge Performance P

Strategic Bridge Performance M

TRB 93rd Annual Meeting

LTBP Program Workshop – Program Briefing

Washington, DC – Thursday January 16, 2014

Robert Zobel, Ph.D., P.E.

Technical and Development EngineerLong‐Term Bridge Performance Program

Federal Highway Administration

Hamid Ghasemi, Ph.D.

Team Leader/Program ManagerFederal Highway Administration

S

Outreach and Developm

Federal Highway Ad

To

Structural/Bri

Federal Highway Ad