Abstract
A recent trend in bridge construction has been the optimization of the cost-to-performance ratio. The most effective way to optimize the cost-to-performance ratio is to maximize the efficiency of the superstructure. Currently, many bridge engineers and designers favor two- or three- girder plate superstructures, due to their cost advantages. However, research on the performance enhancements of the I-type girder in two- or three- girder plate bridges is lacking. One of the most important performance improvement technologies for the I-type girder is the “preflex” method. In the preflex method, the specimen is inverted during the construction process to apply prestressed cambering to the specimen by using self-weight. However, a problem with the preflex construction method is difficulty with inverting the girder/plate system during the concrete curing process. Therefore, a new inverting system called Turn-Over (TO) wheel was proposed. Using TO wheels, wider variations to the I-type girder design can be achieved. Using this TO construction method, various cross sectional designs of girder plate systems can be considered due to its easiness in inverting the girder/plate system. In this study, the location of concrete confinement sections between the steel I-beams and concrete plates was varied in an I-girder cross-sectional design. Design parameters included effective height, flange thickness, flange width, confining concrete section width, etc. From this study, the optimum cross-sectional design of the I-girder/concrete plate system was achieved. Then, a single 20 m TO girder/plate system and two 20 m TO girder bridges were constructed and tested to evaluate their performance. From the test, failure behavior, load carrying capacity, crack pattern, etc., are obtained. The results are discussed in detail in this paper.
Highlights
As urbanization accelerates and city populations rapidly increase, transportation of people and merchandise must become more efficient
The three locations considered for the confining concrete section are as follows
With the confining concrete section location parameter as the top surface, center, and bottom surface of the top flange section of the I-steel member, this study focuses on the stress and steel ratios of a TO girder bridge
Summary
As urbanization accelerates and city populations rapidly increase, transportation of people and merchandise must become more efficient. Two- or three- girder plate bridges have a technologies, construction materials, and precast construction methods, two- or three- girder bridges much simpler structural behavior, better cost-to-performance ratio, and easier structure maintenance, are becoming more popular. In addition,of high (LCC)durability optimization design ofplate mainbridges girders improve constructability and durability two- or performance and high strength steel member developments for twoor threegirder plate bridges three- girder plate bridges [9]. Of the concrete by on inverting the girder/plate precast construction process as a breakthrough in performance for the I-type girder was proposed by Lipski [17], called the “preflex”.
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