| Bridge expansion devices in Hokkaido face severe conditions (including frost/salt damage and impact from snow-removal activities)、 meaning that they deteriorate and sustain damage faster than other bridge members． As the replacement of damaged expansion devices has increased dramatically in recent years、 a model with high fatigue durability and load capacity was developed to reduce future life cycle costs. The expansion device designed for cold regions was installed on a bridge administered by the Sapporo city to examine its workability、 load-carrying capacity、 waterproof performance and anticorrosive function、 as well as to enable on-site verification through data accumulation、 including information on the impact of snow-removal activities and stress propagation characteristics under conditions with running vehicles. |
