Tool 17 · AASHTO LRFD Art. 4.6.2.2

Live Load Distribution Factor

Approximate distribution factors for concrete deck on steel or precast concrete I-girders and cast-in-place T-beams (cross-sections a, e, k). Interior & exterior girders, moment & shear, lever rule for the one-lane exterior case, optional skew correction. Metric inputs — formulas applied in code units exactly.

Geometry

Exterior web centreline → interior face of barrier. Negative if barrier sits inboard.

Longitudinal stiffness Kg

Preliminary mode sets (Kg/12Lts³)0.1 = 1.0 per C4.6.2.2.1 — acceptable for first sizing.

Distribution factors g lanes / girder

Case1 lane2+ lanesgoverning× skew

Multiple presence is already inside the tabulated formulas; the lever-rule one-lane result includes m = 1.2. Apply the governing g to the HL-93 per-lane envelope to get per-girder demand, then carry both into the load-rating tool. Ranges of applicability are checked live — anything outside range is flagged, not hidden. Indicative preliminary values only — not a substitute for detailed design.

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