Abstract: The loads, construction procedures, and material behavior influence the performance of the bridge deck as well as its structural integrity. This paper includes a thorough investigation to identify the probable causes of cracking in reinforced concrete bridge decks, particularly at early ages. The objectives of the study were addressed through a literature review process and a comprehensive nationwide survey. Experiments were performed to establish the magnitude of the modulus of elasticity of concrete at early ages as well as the curvature it can withstand without cracking. A computer program was developed to take into account the loads due to sequence of pours. A compendium was developed to categorize the various causes of cracking to identify appropriate procedures that may control this cracking. The parameters considered in the investigation were age of concrete, stage and sequence of pours, curing procedures, heat of hydration, strength gain, thermal changes, and construction type. Results of the literature review and survey indicated that in most cases, cracking of concrete may be attributed to the high evaporation rate and high magnitude of shrinkage. Other factors include the use of high slump concrete, excessive water in the concrete, insufficient top reinforcement cover, insufficient vibration of the concrete, inadequate reinforcing details of the joint between the new and old deck, sequence of pour, and weight and deflection of the forms. The calculated curvatures for the selected bridges were smaller than the curvatures needed to crack dynamically loaded fresh concrete in a laboratory environment.

Abstract: A treadmill (10) includes a frame (12) on which are mounted transverse forward and rearward roller assemblies (16, 18). An endless belt (20) is trained about the forward and rearward roller assemblies. A deck (24) is positioned between the upper run of the belt and the frame. The rearward portion of the deck (24) is hinged to the frame by pivot brackets (70) mounted to the frame to allow pivoting of a deck about an axis extending transversely to the length of the deck. Preferably, the pivot bracket (70) is of unitary construction, but of sufficient flexibility to allow the relatively free pivoting of the rear portion of the deck in relationship to the frame. Elastomeric cushions or springs are supported by the forward portion of the frame to underlie and support the forward portion of the deck and to absorb impact loads imparted on the deck by the user. A pivot wall (90) extends downwardly from the rear portion of the frame (12) to support the rear of the deck and also to raise and lower the rear of the treadmill deck relative to the forward end of the treadmill deck, thereby to provide an adjustable incline for the deck.

Abstract: The dominant parameters that lead to premature transverse cracking in bridge decks are determined, and recommendations to reduce cracking tendency in bridge decks are developed. The project is divided into two parts: a field study and a parametric study. The objective of the field study is to determine the correlation between the observed cracking and available design-, material-, and construction-related data. Seventy-two bridges in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area are included in the field study. According to the results of the study and correlation with other research, restrained concrete deck shrinkage is the leading cause of cracking. The dominant factors affecting transverse cracking are the longitudinal end restraint, girder stiffness, cross-frame location, splice location, deck thickness, cutoff length of the deck supplemental reinforcing bar, size of the top transverse bar, concrete shrinkage, deck concrete modulus of elasticity, cement content, aggregate type and quantity, air content,...

Abstract: This paper is concerned with theoretical and experimental analysis of deep plastic collapse of a deck or deep girder subjected to an in-plane, concentrated load. A theory is derived which is valid until initiation of fracture in the structure. The presented experimental results show load–deflection curves and modes of deformation for decks, stringer decks and deep thin-walled beams subjected to central or excentric point loads between transverse frames. Based on theory and experiments, various modelling aspects of the local/global failure of the beams are discussed. The agreement between the theoretical closed form solutions and the experimental results is good.

Abstract: A deck system with a deck clip. The deck system includes deck boards in which receiving chambers are formed. The receiving chambers are formed in both opposing side edges of each deck board, and each chamber is defined in part by a lip edge. The deck boards are placed side by side during construction of a deck, closely spaced, such that the lip edges of adjacent deck boards define a narrow channel space therebetween in which a rotatable deck clip is placed. The clip has a first overhang member and an opposing second overhang member and is thereby wider in a first horizontal dimension and shorter in a second, perpendicular horizontal dimension, and is rotatably attached to the deck joists by a screw or other fastening device. When the clip is rotated into a first position, its first and second overhang members extend into the receiving chambers of adjacent deck boards and engage with the lip edges of each chamber to hold the deck boards securely in place upon the joists. Users may easily remove a deck board by simply rotating the clip ninety degrees to thereby move the overhang members of the clip into the channel space between the lip edges, and the deck boards are thereby released.

Abstract: In a prestressed concrete box girder bridge, the need to contain and deviate the longitudinal tendons of the internal prestressing increases the web thickness and the self-weight of the deck. As the span increases, the reduction of dead load is a primary need. It is the most important load, resisted first by the construction equipment, and then by the structure itself. Reductions to dead load permit savings in equipment costs while creating a reserve for service loads. External prestressing allows the combination of conventional materials to create innovative prestressed composite structures. Compared with conventional prestressed concrete box girders, these structural schemes are lighter and more efficient, and may extend the field of application of several conventional construction techniques. (A)

Abstract: An improvement to a subsonic passenger aircraft is provided. The passenger aircraft has a fuselage including a main passenger seating deck (14) including forward, middle, and aft regions. The fuselage includes an upper forward deck (16) located above the main passenger seating deck forward region and accessible thereto. Both the main deck and upper forward deck having doors (30), (26) therein for passenger and supplies ingress and egress. The fuselage includes an aft upper deck (18) located above the main passenger seating deck aft region and accessible from the main deck. An upper middle region (20) is located above the main deck middle region. In one embodiment, the upper middle region (20) is of a height elevationally less than either of the forward and aft upper decks. The cross-sectional area of the fuselage at the upper middle region is less than the cross-sectional area of the fuselage at either the forward upper deck region or the aft upper deck region. In another embodiment, the forward upper cabin and the aft upper cabin are separate, longitudinally non-adjacent cabins for accommodating seated passengers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a ventilation system for an attic or rafter space that mimics the appearance of the roofing material and thus has little effect on the appearance of the building. The vent has two pieces, a primary vent and a secondary vent and they may be made of aluminum, galvanized steel or copper. The primary vent is installed on a roof deck over a ventilation opening cut through the deck. The secondary vent is constructed to look like the surrounding field tiles and is installed over the primary vent. One or more vent openings in the secondary vent and an opening in the primary vent conduct air between the attic or rafter space and the outside. The secondary vent has a skeleton with one or more vent openings and a cap covering each opening shielding the ventilating space. Skeletons are formed in one piece and are made to fit each different size and type of roofing tile. The caps and the skeleton are ribbed for rigidity. The caps are made in one size only to minimize manufacturing and inventory complexity, thus any cap may be fitted on any skeleton.

Abstract: Transverse shrinkage cracking of bridge decks occurs during and shortly after construction. It allows cracks to form and later allows water and other elements to enter the concrete matrix of the deck and most importantly to fall onto the supporting structure below. This leads to significantly damage of that support structure. This paper describes a field application of the design for an in-situ means of controlling and repairing transverse shrinkage cracking, by utilizing brittle tubes with sealants in the concrete deck.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for facilitating network delivery of Wireless Markup Language (WML) decks (or decks in similar notations) to memory-constrained client devices such as Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) devices, by applying a novel deck-reduction process to the decks, such that the decks are reduced by fragmentation into new decks of a manageable size. No loss of deck content occurs in this fragmentation process. The cards of the original deck are grouped into new sub-decks, where each sub-deck is no larger than a particular maximum deck size. When defining the new sub-decks, card adjacency is used along with commonality of event bindings and text strings, in order to regroup the cards in such a way as to reduce the size of the resulting sub-decks while minimizing the number of remote references generated.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting and installing a deck of an offshore oil production comprises a floating barge (10) adapted to support the deck (1) and provided with devices for moving the deck (1). The apparatus includes a support framework (11) for the deck (1) adapted to be placed on the barge (10) and including the devices for moving the deck (1) in the form of at least one rack (21) that can be moved vertically by drive mechanisms (20).

Abstract: A pallet assembly (21, 51, 71) including a plurality of side-by-side rail assemblies (22-24, 56-58, 72-74), a wooden deck (26, 52, 84) secured to an upwardly facing side of the rails and extending transversely thereacross, and impact-resistant polymer deck boards (31, 53, 83) secured to the leading edges of the rails to define the tine-receiving channels (28, 29, 61, 62, 86, 87) of the pallet assembly. The rails preferably are also formed of high-impact resistant polymer members or are provided for by polymer end caps (77, 78) on the end of wooden members (76). A wooden rail (76) and polymer end caps (77, 78) subassembly are included, as is a method for forming a composite wood and polymer pallet assembly.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a concrete deck form panel includes the initial step of cutting an insert within the panel, which may be removed by sliding the insert longitudinally from the panel. A pair of structural members are attached to the longitudinal sides of the insert, and then the insert is returned to the original position within the panel. A series of panels are connected to form a floor for supporting concrete, thereby forming a concrete deck system. In a second embodiment of the invention each form panel is formed by attaching a pair of structural members to longitudinal sides of a central body and then attaching L-shaped members to the structural members. A top plate is mounted to the top of the L-shaped members and the central body to form the integrated form panel.

Abstract: In the state of Alaska, a six-span 884.5-m orthotropic steel bridge crosses the Yukon River at a 6 percent grade. The bridge is on a gravel road, it has a roadway width of 9.2 m, and the orthotropic steel deck is supported by two steel box girders 154.9 cm wide and 414.0 cm deep. The structure is expected to support the oil pipeline, a future gas line, and a low volume of heavy loaded trucks and to respond to harsh winter temperatures. This structure was designed in the early 1970s with a 127-mm two-layer timber deck wearing surface. Since then, the wearing surface has been replaced twice with timber decks (1981, 1992) and is again scheduled for timber deck replacement in 1999. Alternative wearing surfaces for other orthotropic bridge decks are reviewed. Orthotropic steel deck flexibility is examined and design charts for selecting the thickness for a given wearing surface are presented. The design charts account for truck loads and temperature change; no provision is made for traction or abrasion. The use of these charts is illustrated. Strains caused by prepositioned truck loads were measured in the orthotropic steel deck. The deck had a two-layer 127-mm timber wearing surface. These strains were compared by analysis. The results showed that the timber-deck system was stiff. Live load tensile strains and the range of strain were low; thermal stresses are expected to be high. Cold temperature thermal cracking, abrasion, adhesion to the steel deck, and traction are important parameters for selecting a future wearing surface. Live load fatigue in the wearing surface should not be a problem for this orthotropic bridge.

Abstract: A concrete or other roofing tile is provided which simulates wood shake roofing, and which may be used in either a direct deck or batten configuration. The simulated wood shake configuration includes an angled cut portion by means of a butt treatment, and also includes the use of an elongate medial slot which has a rectangular configuration.

Abstract: A scissor lift that achieves enhanced vertical travel of the deck for a given amount of horizontal travel of the legs. The enhanced vertical travel is achieved by overlapping the deck pivot point (i.e., the point at which a leg is pivotally connected to the deck) with the frame pivot point (i.e., the point at which a leg is pivotally connected to the frame) when the deck is in the fully lowered position. That is, the deck pivot point is lower than the frame pivot point when the deck is fully lowered. The pivot points can occur on the same leg or on different legs. The deck and frame pivot points can provide purely pivotal movement or a combination of pivotal and some other type of movement (e.g., translational movement). The above-described scissor lifts can be utilized to perform corresponding methods of lowering a scissor lift. In the method, the deck pivot is positioned lower than the frame pivot when the deck is in the fully lowered position.

Abstract: This study deals with the stress distribution in concrete deck slabs on composite steel beams used with integral abutment bridges. The applied loading is composed of one or more side-by-side HS20-44 trucks. The finite-element method is used to analyze two bridge structures with different numbers of beams, beam spacings, and supporting piles. The transverse and longitudinal slab stresses in the deck slab are investigated in the positive and negative bending regions near and away from the integral abutment. The slab stresses in the integral abutment bridges are compared with the corresponding stresses induced in the slab of equivalent jointed bridges. The results indicate that integral abutment bridges distribute the loads in the deck slab more uniformly than their jointed counterparts. The maximum stresses in the transverse direction of the slab can be 25–50% lower in the integral bridges than in their corresponding simply supported ones.

Abstract: A metal beam includes a top flange; a bottom flange; and an intermediate web joining together the top flange and the bottom flange. The bottom flange includes an upper deck and a lower deck joined at their inner sides to the intermediate web in parallel spaced relation to each other to form a double-deck structure. The space between the upper and lower decks is occupied by tensioning elements embedded in concrete for prestressing the beam. The top flange is of smaller width but of substantially greater thickness than the bottom flange lower deck. In one described embodiment, the intermediate web is of a single wall construction; and in a second described embodiment, it is of a double-wall construction and also receives tensioning elements and concrete for prestressing the beam. Also described is a building structure in which the metal beams are used for supporting horizontal floor panels.

Abstract: An adjustable running board comprising an elongated deck having an integrated first end-cap and an underlying support frame in which clamping bolts may be slideably positioned. The elongated deck may be cut to the length required for installation on a particular vehicle. A mounting shoulder on a second end-cap is bolted to the underlying support frame forming the running board assembly.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sacrificial limb for a deck plank provides a deck plank that is comprised of a wood replacement material. The deck plank has a tongue that is adapted to fit with a groove of an adjacent deck plank. A channel is cut in the tongue of the deck plank. The channel is adapted to induce the tongue to fracture when expansion of the wood replacement material causes sufficient pressure between the tongue and the groove of the adjacent deck plank. As a result, expansion and contraction of the deck plank material preferably does not cause the deck to buckle.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for installing a deck (3) on an offshore substructure (15) is provided. The apparatus comprises a deck supported by lifting mechanisms (6) compressed until transported to an offshore substructure having an upper end (16) located above the water surface. The lifting mechanisms are then extended and the apparatus moved on the surface of the water to position the deck over the substructure. The deck is then lowered onto the substructure and the pontoons are lifted out of the water.

Abstract: A composite structural member with pre-compression assembly. The apparatus comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending composite units. Each composite unit comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending girders or beams disposed on the bridge supports and a deck portion made of a moldable material and attached to the beams. Pre-compression is used for clamping adjacent units together such that a gap or hardened grout-filled joint between the deck portions thereof is substantially closed. The pre-compression portion of the apparatus includes a threaded member disposed through holes in facing beams of adjacent composite units with a fastener engaging the threaded member so that tightening of the fastener on the threaded member pulls the adjacent units together. The deck portions of the composite units may use a tongue-in-groove construction, and adhesive may be placed in the gap between the deck portions. The apparatus is particularly useful in repairing a bridge structure to replace an old concrete deck quickly while providing for minimal traffic interruption.

Abstract: A deck product comprising a composite and a base. The composite covers the base and the base and the composite are removably attached

Abstract: A corrugated skateboard deck and method of corrugating skateboard decks in the skateboard deck manufacturing process. The corrugated skateboard deck has elongated corrugations embossed into at least one of its top and bottom surfaces and generally extending between first and second ends of the skateboard deck. The elongated corrugations are made up of ridges and grooves which are pressure-formed in a method of corrugating the surfaces of skateboard decks. This method utilizes a high-density corrugated template to emboss corrugations under high pressures.

Abstract: A bale loading apparatus, which includes a wheeled undercarriage having front and rear ends; a deck pivotally mounted by a pivot mount to the rear end of the undercarriage for supporting a row of bales thereon; and actuating component driven by a first drive to pivot said deck between a first generally horizontal position and a second generally vertical position. The apparatus also includes forks mounted to the rear of the deck, with the forks preferably composed of tines. The forks are positionable at substantially ground level and in a generally horizontal orientation when the deck is generally vertical. A conveyor is incorporated within the deck to convey a bale from the rear end of the deck to the front end thereof. A drive component is provided to drive the conveyor.