Segmental Concrete Bridges with Corrugated Steel Webs

Abstract

A Prestressed Concrete (PC) bridge with corrugated steel webs is less expensive than a conventional PC bridge with concrete webs if the span is more than 50 m. This is due to the fact that the corrugated web bridge is 20–30% lighter than the concrete web bridge. Cost-effectiveness is also promoted by the accordion effect, by which the corrugated web has no stiffness against axial force. The emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) has become a serious problem all over the world. The bridge with corrugated webs is an eco-friendly bridge which can reduce the emission of CO2 greatly in comparison with conventional concrete or steel bridges. A bridge with corrugated steel webs carries the loads by out-of-plane deformation and requires no stiffeners. A structural analysis program incorporating elasto-plastic stiffness and geometric stiffness has been developed and verified by many loading tests. A girder with corrugated steel webs can be integrated without a hinge with a steel box girder in the longitudinal direction. A newly developed connecting method between corrugated web girder and steel girder has made such a hybrid structure possible. A steel bridge with a span of over 400 m can be replaced by this hybrid bridge. The hybrid bridge is cost-effective and emits less CO2. In Japan, more than 130 hybrid bridges have been constructed not only because they cost less but also because of lower CO2 emissions. Such hybrid bridges may well replace the bridges that have all their components made of steel in the near future.