BRIDGE TEMPERATURES AND MOVEMENTS IN THE BRITISH ISLES

LONG TERM MEASUREMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE ON THREE BRIDGES IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND IN ORDER TO CORRELATE THE RANGE OF BRIDGE TEMPERATURE (AND ASSOCIATED MOVEMENT) WITH THE RANGE OF SHADE TEMPERATURE IN THE SAME AREA. BRIDGE TEMPERATURES HAVE ALSO BEEN CALCULATED FROM THEORY AND COMPARED WITH EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS FOR THE SAME ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. THE THEORY HAS ALSO BEEN USED TO OBTAIN LIKELY BRIDGE TEMPERATURES CORRESPONDING TO EXTREME ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. CONCLUSIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN DRAWN ARE: (1) FOR CONCRETE BRIDGES, THE MAXIMUM RANGE OF MEAN BRIDGE TEMPERATURE IS MUCH THE SAME AS THE MAXIMUM RANGE OF SHADE TEMPERATURE IN THE SAME AREA, (2) FOR STEEL BOX-SECTION BRIDGES: (1) ON COLD NIGHTS DURING THE WINTER, THE MINIMUM MEAN BRIDGE TEMPERATURE WILL GALL TO 3 TO 4C (5 TO 7F) BELOW THE CORRESPONDING MINIMUM SHADE TEMPERATURE, (2) ON HOT DAYS DURING THE SUMMER, THE MAXIMUM MEAN BRIDGE TEMPERATURE WILL BE ABOUT 1.5 TIMES THE CORRESPONDING MAXIMUM SHADE TEMPERATURE (EXPRESSED IN DEGREES CELSIUS), AND (3) THE RANGES OF BRIDGE TEMPERATURES QUOTED IN CURRENT BRITISH STANDARDS ARE INADEQUATE. IN PARTICULAR, THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURES ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY LOW, AND THE RANGES QUOTED ARE NOT APPROPRIATE TO ANY AREA OF THE BRITISH ISLES. /RRL/A/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rrl Rpt Lr228, 38 PP, 8 FIG, 5 TAB, 5 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, LONDON (UK)

  ,    
• Authors:
  • EMERSON, M
• Publication Date: 1968

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Concrete bridges; Metal bridges; Motion; Seasons; Steel bridges; Temperature measurement
• Uncontrolled Terms: Seasonal variations
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00208642
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Road Research Laboratory /UK
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 20 1970 12:00AM