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A Guide to Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Trail Bridges

Appendix D—Test Data for Bridges at the Forest Products Laboratory

The bridge was loaded on September 24, 1998. Deflection was measured at midspan. Temperature (Temp) was measured in degrees Fahrenheit. The actual reading is the bridge reading at a particular time minus the initial unloaded bridge reading. After testing at the Forest Products Laboratory, this bridge was dismantled and installed at Peavine Creek in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

22-Foot Walk Bridge
Time Date (days) Actual reading Bridge reading Temp Comments
Side 1 deflection Side 2 deflection Side 1 deflection Side 2 deflection
14:30 9/24/1998 0 0 0 0.25 3.1 65 No load
15:15 9/24/1998 0.03 0.62 0.4 0.87 3.5 65 Loaded, side 2 wire removed
15:30 9/24/1998 0.04 0.64 0.48 0.89 3.58 65  
16:15 9/24/1998 0.08 0.64 0.48 0.89 3.58 65  
7:45 9/25/1998 1 0.65 0.5 0.9 3.6    
7:45 9/28/1998 4 0.69 0.54 0.94 3.64    
7:45 9/29/1998 5 0.69 0.54 0.94 3.64 70 Light rain
7:45 9/30/1998 6 0.7 0.55 0.95 3.65 63  
14:30 9/30/1998 6 0.7 0.55 0.95 3.65 63 After rain
8:00 10/1/1998 7 0.71 0.56 0.96 3.66 50  
8:00 10/2/1998 8 0.71 0.56 0.96 3.66 55 Rain, cloudy
10:00 10/5/1998 11 0.71 0.56 0.96 3.66 60 Rain
8:00 10/6/1998 12 0.71 0.56 0.96 3.66 55 Rain
9:30 10/7/1998 13 0.71 0.56 0.96 3.66 60 Clearing
8:30 10/8/1998 14 0.71 0.56 0.96 3.66 55 Sunny
8:00 10/9/1998 15 0.73 0.58 0.98 3.68 51 Sunny
9:00 10/13/1998 19 0.73 0.58 0.98 3.68 42 Sunny
8:00 10/19/1998 25 0.73 0.58 0.98 3.68 45 Sunny
8:00 10/26/1998 32 0.73 0.58 0.98 3.68 54 Sunny
8:00 11/2/1998 39 0.71 0.58 0.96 3.68 42 Overcast
8:00 11/9/1998 46 0.72 0.59 0.97 3.69 34 Overcast
8:00 11/16/1998 53 0.72 0.59 0.97 3.69 40 Sunny after rain
8:00 11/30/1998 67 0.73 0.6 0.98 3.7 50 Rainy
8:00 1/4/1999 102 0.73 0.6 0.98 3.7 4 After 2 days of snow
8:00 2/10/1999 139 0.73 0.6 0.98 3.7 50 After spring melt
8:00 4/1/1999 189 0.75 0.61 1 3.71 58 Overcast
8:00 5/3/1999 221 0.75 0.61 1 3.71 78 Sunny
8:00 6/7/1999 256 0.79 0.66 1.04 3.76 88 Sunny
11:00 7/6/1999 285 0.83 0.7 1.08 3.8 96 Sunny
8:00 7/12/1999 291 0.87 0.74 1.12 3.84 80 Sunny
8:00 7/15/1999 294 0.87 0.74 1.12 3.84 72 Sunny
8:00 7/19/1999 298 0.87 0.74 1.12 3.84 73 Sunny
8:00 7/22/1999 301 0.87 0.74 1.12 3.84 72 Sunny
8:00 7/26/1999 305 0.87 0.74 1.12 3.84 84 Rainy
8:00 7/27/1999 306 0.89 0.74 1.14 3.84 83 Before unload, sunny
9:30 7/27/1999 306 0.64 0.55 0.89 3.65 84 Unload, sunny
8:00 7/28/1999 307 0.59 0.54 0.84 3.64 73 Sunny

Line graph showing the side one mid span and side two mid span deflection of a 22-foot bridge over a time period of 307 days.

The bridge was loaded on September 29, 1998. Temperature (Temp) was measured in degrees Fahrenheit. The actual deflection is the bridge readings at a particular time minus the initial unloaded bridge reading. After testing at the Forest Products Laboratory, this bridge was dismantled and reinstalled at Falls Creek in the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest.

44-Foot Walk Bridge
Time Date (days) Actual deflection Bridge readings Temp Comments
Side 1 Side 2 Side 1 Side 2
End Mid End Mid End Mid End Mid
13:00 9/29/1998 0 0 0 0 0 6.5 4.38 9.14 0.44 70 Zero load
15:15 9/29/1998 0.08 0.8 1.02 0.68 1.02 7.3 5.4 9.82 1.46 70 1 hr after loading
16:45 9/29/1998 0.16 0.81 1.02 0.71 1.06 7.31 5.4 9.85 1.5 70 Sunny
7:45 9/30/1998 0.8 0.84 1.08 0.73 1.07 7.34 5.46 9.87 1.51 70 Sunny
14:30 9/30/1998 1 0.84 1.08 0.72 1.07 7.34 5.46 9.86 1.51 70 Sunny
8:00 10/1/1998 2 0.88 1.1 0.74 1.1 7.38 5.48 9.88 1.54 50 Sunny
8:00 10/2/1998 3 0.9 1.12 0.76 1.12 7.4 5.5 9.9 1.56 55 Rain, cloudy
10:00 10/5/1998 6 0.9 1.16 0.76 1.14 7.4 5.54 9.9 1.58 60 Rainy
8:00 10/6/1998 7 0.9 1.17 0.76 1.16 7.4 5.55 9.9 1.6 55 Rainy
9:30 10/7/1998 8 0.88 1.16 0.75 1.14 7.38 5.54 9.89 1.58 60 Clearing
8:30 10/8/1998 9 0.9 1.18 0.78 1.16 7.4 5.56 9.92 1.6 55 Sunny
8:00 10/9/1998 10 0.92 1.18 0.8 1.16 7.42 5.56 9.94 1.6 51 Sunny
9:00 10/13/1998 14 0.94 1.2 0.82 1.18 7.44 5.58 9.96 1.62 41 Sunny
8:00 10/19/1998 20 0.96 1.24 0.84 1.22 7.46 5.62 9.98 1.66 45 Sunny, after 2 days rain
8:00 10/26/1998 27 0.94 1.22 0.82 1.2 7.44 5.6 9.96 1.64 54 Sunny
8:00 11/2/1998 34 0.96 1.24 0.84 1.22 7.46 5.62 9.98 1.66 42 Overcast
8:00 11/9/1998 41 0.97 1.25 0.83 1.22 7.47 5.63 9.97 1.66 34 Overcast
8:00 11/16/1998 48 0.96 1.26 0.84 1.22 7.46 5.64 9.98 1.66 40 Sunny after rain
8:00 11/30/1998 62 0.96 1.26 0.84 1.24 7.46 5.64 9.98 1.68 50 Rainy
8:00 1/4/1999 97 0.96 1.26 0.84 1.24 7.46 5.64 9.98 1.68 4 After 2 days of snow
8:00 2/10/1999 134 0.97 1.27 0.86 1.26 7.47 5.65 10 1.7 50 After spring melt
8:00 4/1/1999 184 0.98 1.28 0.88 1.28 7.48 5.66 10.02 1.72 59 Overcast
8:00 5/3/1999 216 0.96 1.26 0.82 1.22 7.46 5.64 9.96 1.66 78 Sunny
8:00 6/7/1999 251 1.02 1.32 0.88 1.28 7.52 5.7 10.02 1.72 88 Sunny
11:00 7/6/1999 280 1.04 1.38 0.9 1.34 7.54 5.76 10.04 1.78 96 Sunny
8:00 7/12/1999 286 1.09 1.42 0.95 1.39 7.59 5.8 10.09 1.83 80 Sunny
7:00 7/15/1999 289 1.1 1.48 0.96 1.46 7.6 5.86 10.1 1.9 72 Sunny
7:00 7/19/1999 293 1.11 1.49 0.97 1.47 7.61 5.87 10.11 1.91 73 Sunny
7:00 7/22/1999 296 1.11 1.49 0.97 1.47 7.61 5.87 10.11 1.91 76 Sunny
10:00 7/26/1999 300 1.11 1.49 0.97 1.47 7.61 5.87 10.11 1.91 84 Rainy
8:00 7/27/1999 301 1.11 1.49 0.97 1.43 7.61 5.87 10.11 1.87 90 Before unload, sunny
12:00 7/27/1999 301 0.45 0.46 0.27 0.38 6.95 4.84 9.41 0.82 92 Unload, sunny
7:00 7/28/1999 302 0.46 0.5 0.32 0.46 6.96 4.88 9.46 0.9 73 Sunny

Line graph showing the side one mid span, side one end, side two mid span, and side two end deflection of a 44-foot bridge over a time period of 302 days.

Engineer drawing of a polymer trail bridge that shows the locations of strain and deflection gauges.

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