MERLIN-DASH
MERLIN-DASH was developed for use by bridge design engineers who function in a production environment. In order to provide a program which would be applicable nationally, the BEST Center developed MERLIN-DASH to offer the widest range of features and options necessary to meet the demands of universal usage in the analysis, design, and rating of steel and reinforced concrete bridges.
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MERLIN-DASH/PBEAM
The prestressed precast concrete girder analysis and design program, DASH/P, is a submodule of the popular MERLIN-DASH program and will perform a complete analysis and code check of simple-span and multi-span prestressed highway bridges, in accordance with the latest AASHTO Standard and LRFD specifications. The DASH/P design system contains features generalized to a level which allows universal usage. The program is accessed through a user-friendly preprocessor for data preparation and executed by using the latest numerical analysis techniques to accommodate general usage of strand patterns, arbitrary loadings, and user-defined girder members. The program will compute and print the results in tabular form for any defined points along the span for the following: Section properties for composite and non-composite; dead load and live load reactions; shears, moments, and displacements; stresses for various construction stages; prestressing losses and forces; ultimate moments provided and required; and cracking moments.
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SABRE
Sign Bridge Analysis and Evaluation System runs on Windows platform personal computers and includes preprocessor, analysis, and postprocessor modules. The preprocessor includes data entry/editing, mesh generation, and on-screen graphing, among other functions. The analysis module uses the general stiffness method to perform static analysis of space frames and includes automatic load calculation (dead, wind, and ice), stress analysis, and code checking. The analysis is based upon the 2001 AASHTO “Standard Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway Signs, Luminaires and Traffic Signals? New allowable stress, combined stress ratio (CSR) and especially the fatique check are implemented in the new version.
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TRAP
The computer program TRAP will perform an analysis or rating group loading of a simply supported or continuous span truss having up to six spans, in accordance with the latest AASHTO specifications. Also, the program is capable of performing the analysis and rating of a prestressed truss. Live load, using State of Maryland or AASHTO, is performed automatically. In addition, a general truck configuration or railroad loading (Cooper E60, E70, and E80) having up to 40 axles may be input for a special posting rating analysis.
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VISUAL BRG
Visual Bridge and Roadway Geometries – Visual BRG is a windows-based GUI application that provides bridge engineers abilities to generate bridge and roadway geometry models. The leading edge software technologies, such as Windows Presentation Foundations (WPF), DirectX 3D Rendering, Data Event Driven and .NET, are employed in its development. Rich of graphical user interfaces and the instant responses to data changes in 3D rendering are exceptional features of Visual BRG.
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RWALL
Analysis and design of cantilever retaining walls are performed. The program automatically considers active earth pressures and adjusts the coefficients for adjusted wall dimensions, checks stability of the wall with respect to sliding, soil pressure and overturning, and performs the section design of the stem and footing, including the reinforcement. Various options allow for the effects of point or infinite and finite uniform or line surcharge loadings. The effects of infinite or broken backfill cases can be considered and also automatically adjusted for varying wall dimensions. The foundation can consist of a spread footing with an option for a key or a pile group. The pile group analysis can consider the effects of the lateral stability afforded by the subgrade.
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PILEGP
The Static Analysis of Piles(PILEGP)will analyze a three-dimensional pile group subjected to static loadings. The direct stiffness approach, in conjunction with conventional matrix methods, is used to perform the analysis. The pile cap is assumed to be rigid with the remainder of the system demonstrating elastic behavior.
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DPOLES
OMT (Office of Materials and Technology) metals technicians and OOTS (Office of Traffic and Safety) signal technicians of the Maryland State Highway Administration are frequently requested to investigate the damage to signal/light poles and sign structures resulting from traffic accidents. Often the circular steel tube uprights of the poles/structures have been dented. This permanent deformation varies in size and generally does not visually affect the upright. When there is no tearing of the metal at the deformation it is difficult to determine if the structural integrity of the upright. When there is no tearing of the metal at the deformation it is difficult to determine if the structural integrity of the upright has been compromised. That evaluation is compounded by the type of loading on the structure and its relationship to the deformation.
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MicroStation Utility Program
CAD renderings for illustrating bridge camber data, deck elevation and girder profile are always tedious and error prone for bridge engineers. Most of the information for generating these CAD drawings is either established by engineers as principal data required for conducting structural analysis or automatically generated by some utility program such as Merlin-DASH and Visual BRG. Automation of these drawings from the sharing of existing information not only will speed up the design procedure but also will reduce errors occurring in interpretations; thereby, the overall quality will be improved.
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