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<doi>/ISEC.res.2017.147</doi>
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<article-title>ESTIMATION OF VEHICULAR COLLISION FORCE<br/>
FOR BRIDGE COLUMNS USING COMPUTATIONAL<br/>
MODELS</article-title>
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<author>NADIM WEHBE and ABDULLAH BOUDAQA</author>

<aff>Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota State University,<br/>
Brookings, USA</aff>


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<abstract>
<title>ABSTRACT</title>
<p>Although not commonly occurring, collisions of heavy vehicles with highway overpass
bridge columns have happened in the past and resulted in catastrophic structural
failures that paralyze traffic on both the overpass and the highway below. A study that
was conducted at South Dakota State University performed risk assessment and
developed mitigation strategy for vehicular collision with bridge columns on South
Dakota interstate highways. Since the collision force is dependent upon the stiffness of
the structure and the approach speed of the crashing truck, a finite element (FE)
dynamic analysis was performed in the study to evaluate the collision forces resulting
from two different truck sizes crashing into a prototype bridge bent at three different
approach speeds (55 mph, 65 mph, 75 mph). This paper covers the FE simulation that
was performed using computer software. The results indicate that the 600-kip
vehicular collision force specified by AASHTO is a reasonable estimate for the load
demand induced by an 80,000 lb. tractor-trailer crashing into a bridge column at an
approach speed not exceeding 55 mph.</p>
<p><italic>Keywords: </italic>Bridge piers, Extreme loads, Tractor-trailer, Finite element model.</p>
</abstract>
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<hpdf>St-126</hpdf>
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