Load tests on dismantled 50-year-old prestressed concrete bridge deck beams

This paper presents the results of three large scale experimental tests within the survey conducted on 50-year-old prestressed concrete (PC) girders for the BRIDGE|50 research project (www.bridge50.org). The girders were retrieved from a viaduct before dismantling operations once located in the urban area of Turin, Italy. Together with other structural members they represent one of the most prominent project of this type worldwide. The PC elements have 19.2 m span length and I-shaped cross section with 14 cm cast-in situ slab with variable damage due to deterioration caused by both service and lifting operations during dismantling phase. For each specimen, static tests have carried out applying monotonic or cyclic loading up to the ultimate load, measuring deflections, loads and strains in several positions for two I beams and one box beam. The results of the tests in terms of load-deflection responses and strains are reported for each beam investigated and compared considering previous tests from the same project already reported in literature. The experimental findings highlight the specific structural response and residual capacity of the tested members in presence of damage, cyclic loading and different tested section. The outcomes of the project will provide a valuable database of reference for the assessment of the residual structural performance of existing bridges.