Barge Impact Forces on Bridge Piers: An Experimental Study

摘要

The current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) method of analysis of bridge piers susceptible to vessel impact is known as the equivalent static method. This method involves a great deal of simplifications and assumptions due to the enormous variation in flotilla sizes, barge types, and barge sizes. In this report, an empirical equation is developed to determine the impact forces of a single barge on bridge piers. The maximum impact forces of barges that are currently used on waterways in the United States are computed by this empirical equation. The results are then compared with the impact forces computed by the AASHTO method. Furthermore, this empirical equation is modified to fit the results computed by the AASHTO method. Consequently, the empirical equation is developed in this report is proposed as a simplified version of the AASHTO method.