Abstract
This paper investigates an assessment method for Corten steel (CS)
ancillary structures on the Charleston interstate highway system (I-64,
I-77, and I-79). Nineteen CS bridge-mounted ancillary support (CS-BMAS)
structures (i.e., ancillary structures are attached to bridge
superstructure) were examined by non-destructive testing techniques.
Ultrasonic testing (UT) was used to inspect key components of the
ancillary sign structures (e.g., anchor bolts, connection brackets,
etc.) while the other components were assessed by a conventional visual
inspection method. The CS-BMAS structures were rated at both the overall
and element levels (each ancillary structure includes more than ten
elements/components such as foundations/concrete in the vicinity of
connections, mounting plates, anchor bolts, vertical tubular members and
their connections, truss members and connections). The element level
ratings were based on the proposed rating criteria and score. The
overall condition of each ancillary structure was then obtained by the
normalized S/Smax ratio (where S is the total score of
each structure and Smax is maximum possible total
score). The results revealed that most of the CS-BMAS structures
performed satisfactorily after more than four decades of service and
exposure to harsh environmental conditions. Specifically, two ancillary
sign structures (11%) were rated as good condition, 16 structures
(84%) were rated as fair condition, and one structure (5%) was found
to be in poor condition.