Large-scale experimental testing of 50-year-old prestressed concrete bridge girder

This paper reports on large-scale loading tests survey carried out on 50-year-old prestressed concrete girders as part of the BRIDGE|50 research project (www.bridge50.org). The girders were retrieved from an existing viaduct in Turin, Italy. The prestressed concrete elements were 19.2 m long and had an I-shaped cross-section with a cast-in-situ slab. Variable damages were found, due to in-service deterioration and/or subsequent lifting operations during the demolition phase. Each specimen was subjected to static tests using monotonic or cyclic loading up to the ultimate load. This paper reports the results of tests on the second group of four girders, comparing their load-deflection responses and strains with those of the first group subjected to a different static scheme. The experimental findings highlight the global structural response from bending to bending/shear failure; the outcomes will define a valuable reference database for assessing the residual structural performance of existing girder bridges.