Diagnostic Load Tests of a Reinforced Concrete Pan-Girder Bridge

This thesis presents the results from a diagnostic load test performed on a reinforced concrete pan-girder bridge located in Buda, Texas. A total of 45 strain gages and 5 displacement gages were attached to the bridge to measure the response. The results indicate the following: (a) the nonstructural curbs act integrally with the exterior girders and carry a large portion of the load, (b) the maximum positive moments in the bridge are similar to the maximum positive moments obtained from a line-girder analysis of a continuous beam, (c) the AASHTO load distribution factor is unconservative for girders with curbs and conservative for interior girders, and (d) rotational restraint was observed at both supports.