Abstract
Kentucky currently has the second longest navigable inland waterway system in the United States. Prior to the design of a bridge at a specific location on a river, a thorough investigation of barge traffic at that location ust be conducted. This report investigates the barge traffic on all navigable waterways in Kentucky. This report provides the data necessary to develop the risk assessment procedures for Kentucky vessel impact design problems in accordance with the AASHTO Guide Specification and Commentary for Vessel Collision Design of Highway Bridges design Method II. Method II is more rigorous to apply than Method I, but it is recommended by the guide specification for most bridges and should lead to more economical designs.
A computer program was written to process the database and calculate the probability based length, width, and capacity for each barge category. Additionally, a second computer program was written to calculate the probability based number of barges in a flotilla column and row, and subsequently categorize that flotilla based upon the barge length and width categories designated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The equivalent static impact loads were then calculated using the probability based flotilla sizes and tonnages. The calculations for the Maysville, KY bridge over the Ohio River are offered as a design example.
Report Date
7-1994
Report Number
KTC-94-15
Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.13023/KTC.RR.1994.15
Repository Citation
Whitney, Michael W.; Harik, Issam E.; Griffin, James J.; and Allen, David L., "Barge Traffic on Kentucky Rivers" (1994). Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report. 425.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/ktc_researchreports/425
