States have competed against one another in a variety of fiscal venues. We demonstrate that toll revenues are another such arena, with states competing with those states from which they receive and/or send many commuters.Because the size of interstate commuters is small relative to intrastate commuters, and because commuters exhibit inelastic behaviour with regard to toll changes, we argue that competition over tolls is an example of political-based yardstick competition. (A)Innovative steel-free deck slabs and deck slabs reinforced with fibre reinforced polymers (FRPs) are a solution to the problem of corrosion of internal steel reinforcement. Engineers have proposed the idea that there may be some arching-action present in bridge deck cantilever overhangs subjected to a concentrated load. An experimental research program was undertakenat the University of Manitoba to investigate this hypothesis. This paper includes the details of the experimental program required to test a full-scale innovative bridge deck with cantilevers reinforced with different toptransverse reinforcing bars. The experimental results include specific information related to the static and fatigue deflection related results, strain related results, crack related results, and modes of failure. The experimental test results indicated that the static and fatigue behaviour of an unstiffened bridge deck cantilever overhang may not be completely flexural. The experimental static and fatigue destructive testing of bridge deck cantilever overhangs subjected to a concentrated load suggests that there may be the presence of arching-action. Further experimental research is required to confirm the behaviour of bridge deck cantilevers with a barrier wall subjected to a concentrated load. (A) Reprinted with permission from Elsevier.
Abstract