Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

Strengthening a Historic Bridge

Michael Lamont, PE SE
T.Y. Lin International, Olympia, WA
Craig Boone, PE SE
WSDOT Bridge & Structures, Olympia, WA
Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit
 Aurora Avenue Bridge
y Also known as the George Washington
Memorial Bridge
y Spans Lake Washington ship canal at the
entrance to Lake Union
y Designed and built between 1929 and 1931

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge
y Located on a critical emergency route
y Currently listed in the National Register of Historic
Places
y Distinctive Architectural Features
◦ Cruciform columns, Haunched Girders

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge
y Total bridge length = 2,955 ft
y 3 Units:
◦ South Approach (6 concrete girder and steel truss spans) =
380 ft
◦ Main Unit (5 steel deck truss spans ) = 1881 ft
◦ North Approach (12 concrete girder spans) = 694 ft

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Retrofit Phases
y Retrofit broken up into stages:
◦ Stage 1 & 2: Main Unit
◦ Stage 3: North and South Approaches

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge
y Main Unit
◦ Statical System – anchor piers, cantilever trusses, and
suspended span
◦ Tapered cruciform concrete columns, lightly
reinforced (#4 @18”)
◦ Expansion joints at Piers N3, N2, S2, S3, and ends of
suspended span

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Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge
y South Approach y North Approach
◦ Reinforced concrete spans ◦ Varying height piers,
with split cruciform cruciform columns (#3@12”)
columns ◦ Continuous frames separated
◦ 75’ truss spans, steel bents by split columns
pinned top & bottom

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Main Unit
y ADINA Time History
Analysis
y 475-yr Return Period EQ, a
= 0.32 g
y Vulnerabilities Identified –
Main Unit:
◦ Lateral Capacity of Bearings
◦ Shear and Flexural Capacity of
Columns
◦ Deficient Truss Members

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Main Unit
Retrofit
y Friction Pendulum Bearings at N1/S1 &
N3/S3
◦ Reduced shear demand on columns
◦ Reduced truss demands
y Shock Transmission Units at N2/S2
◦ FP Bearings not feasible at uplift piers
◦ Restraint of Expansion at anchor Piers
◦ Redistribution of Forces between Piers

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Main Unit
Retrofit
y Installation of N1/S1 Friction Pendulum Bearings
y STU’s installed
y Expansion Joint Modification for free displacement
y Completed 2005

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Approach
Retrofit – Vulnerability Study
y ADINA Time History Analysis
y ADINA Pushover for Verification
y 475-yr Return Period EQ, a = 0.32 g

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Approach
Retrofit – Vulnerability Study
y Cruciform columns deficient in shear
y Split columns deficient in bending /shear
y Intergral end bents / abutments strengthening req’d

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Approach
Retrofit – Vulnerability Study (cont.)
y Concrete girders deficient in bending
y Steel truss spans – lateral wind bracing insufficient for
seismic demands
y Steel truss bents – lateral bracing (struts and
diagonals) insufficient for seismic demands

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Approach
Retrofit Considerations
y Historical Structure – look of the columns can’t change
y Statical System – split columns provide for thermal
movements
y What to do?

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Vulnerability
Study Recommendations
y Retrofit cruciform columns using FRP (for shear).
y Modify cruciform split columns to eliminate split joints.
y Strengthen longitudinal concrete girders for moment using
FRP or concrete jackets.
y Strengthen 75’ truss span elements and S-4 and S-5
secondary elements.

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Approach
Retrofit Next Steps
y Testing program to verify effectiveness of FRP shear
retrofit on cruciform columns

y Verify service and seismic performance of concrete

frames with modified statical system (eliminated splits)

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Column Testing
Overview
y Washington State University
y Dr. David I. McLean, Brian J. Walkenhauer
y Goal: Verify the effectiveness of FRP wrapping for
improving shear performance in cruciform columns
◦ Solid columns
x re-entrant corner anchorage
x hinge confinement
◦ Split columns
x Shear transfer @ split column interface

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Column Testing
y 7 specimens – 5 solid columns, 2 split columns – 1/3 scale
Col. 1/5 Col. 2 Col. 3 Col. 4
FRP jacket, no corner FRP jacket, steel
As-built column (no FRP) – 2 FRP jacket, FRP anchors,
anchorage, no angle with bolts, no
specimens hinge confinement collars
hinge confinement hinge confinement

y Split Columns (6 & 7):

◦ FRP jacket, FRP anchors, cored/grouted
split, confinement collar – 2 specimens

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Column Testing
Setup
y Solid columns loaded in double bending (fix-fix)
y Split columns loaded in single bending (fix-pin)

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Column Testing
Results
y As-built solid columns – shear failure w/ modest
ductility (μ = 4.8)
y Column 2 – shear failure w/ slightly improved ductility
y Column 3 – flexural failure & hinge degradation w/
improved displacement capacity
y Column 4 – flexural failure w/ ductile response (μ =
6.8)
y Split columns – able to transfer shear across split with
shear keys only (no reinforcement required)

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Column Testing
Conclusions
y FRP, properly anchored, is effective at enhancing
shear strength to achieve ductile response
y FRP alone does not provide adequate hinge
confinement for cruciform shape
y FRP anchors or steel angle are effective at anchoring
re-entrant corner
◦ FRP easier to install and do not alter appearance of column
y Steel collar filled with grout is effective at confining
hinge regions
y Cored holes with grout detail is effective at
transferring split column interface shear

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Approaches –
Retrofit Design Overview
y South Approach – concrete spans
y South Approach – truss spans
y North Approach

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Approaches –
Design phase developments
y South approach
◦ Added Friction Pendulum Bearing at S6
x Eliminated costly abutment S9 retrofit, shear retrofit at
S6, longit moment retrofit at S6 backwall
◦ Added grade beam and tiedowns at steel bents
x Transverse shear transferred away from pin joints, avoids
complete bent replacement

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Approaches –
Design phase developments
y North approach
◦ Split columns N6, N9, and N14 left open
x Improved longitudinal force distribution and service behavior
x Elimination of costly abutment N15 retrofit
x Reduced girder retrofit extent to span N10-N14 only

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Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Approaches –
Design Details
y FRP Column Strengthening
y Girder Strengthening
y Split Column Modification
y Steel Bent Retrofit – aesthetic treatments
y Steel Truss Retrofit – aesthetic treatments

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit

 Aurora Avenue Bridge – Approaches
y Questions?

Aurora Avenue Bridge Retrofit