Testing of a Model Curved Steel Girder Bridge

Tests of three 1/8-scale curved girder bridge models are being conducted in the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Rhode Island at Kingston, with the purpose of confirming analytical solutions. This is a report on one of these tests, a three-girder, two span model of a 160 ft long prototype bridge. The model actually simulates a highway ramp for a typical city interchange. Our objective as stated in the beginning was to try to prove that Professor Lavelles analysis is accurate. Results from testing this three-girder model bridge indicates that the analysis is conservative and accurate within limits tolerable to design.