At present, interest is increasing in the evaluation of existingstructures and the development of new and economical types of construction. This is a direct result of the rapid change in the environment and scarce financial resources, which necessitate the development of better and safer structures and expansion of the life of existing structures. Also, spectacular developments in computers have provided engineers with a powerful tool for modeling and analyzing complex structures on the basis of a variety of assumptions. The verification of these computer models can only be done through field and laboratory testing, which is now more important than ever before. The florida department of transportation (fdot), recognizing the importance of structural research, undertook the creation of an engineering group dedicated to structural research and testing. The primary responsibilities of the structural research group are to conduct field and laboratory testing, evaluate existing bridges and structural components, and develop new design concepts and ways to cut constructioncost and time. The state-of-the-art structural research laboratory therefore becomes an essential element in keeping fdot in the engineering forefront. In this paper fdot's current research program and available capabilities are described, and the necessary components for successful laboratory and field testing are discussed in detail. Abrief description of research projects in which both laboratory andfield testing were utilized to develop a new economical bridge system is given. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1275, Bridge research 1990.
Abstract