PREFABRICATED COMPOSITE HIGHWAY BRIDGE UNITS WITH INVERTED STEEL T-BEAMS

A PREFABRICATED BRIDGE UNIT CONSISTING OF A CONCRETE DECK CONNECTED TO TWO STEEL INVERTED T-BEAMS BY STUDS WAS DEVELOPED TO MEET THE CURRENT NEED OF HIGHWAY ENGINEERS FOR A LOW-COST PREFABRICATED SHORT-SPAN BRIDGE UNIT THAT CAN BE RAPIDLY ERECTED. A MAIN FEATURE OF THESE PREFABRICATED COMPOSITE BRIDGES IS THAT, UNLIKE CONVENTIONAL COMPOSITE BEAM BRIDGES, THE STEEL BEAMS IN THESE UNITS HAVE NOT TOP FLANGES. ANOTHER ADVANTAGE IS THAT MOST OF THE CONCRETE SHRINKAGE OCCURS BEFORE ERECTION, AND PRE-ERECTION SHRINKAGE CRACKS PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF EACH UNIT WOULD BE UNLIKELY. THUS, PREFABRICATION GREATLY REDUCES THE POSSIBILITY OF SHRINKAGE CRACKS PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE BRIDGE IN FINISHED STRUCTURE. DESIGNS ARE PRESENTED FOR UNITS WITH INVERTED STEEL T-BEAMS HAVING SEVERAL DIFFERENT UNITS WIDTHS AND DIFFERENT SPANS. IT APPEARS THAT UNITS WOULD BE BOTH STRUCTURALLY ADEQUATE AND ECONOMICAL.

  • Record URL:
  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Paper sponsored by Committee on Steel Superstructures. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
  • Authors:
    • McDermott, J F
  • Publication Date: 1967

Media Info

  • Media Type: Print
  • Features: Figures; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: pp 34-45
  • Monograph Title: Bridges and structures
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00208306
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: Jul 12 1994 12:00AM