The Influence of Slab Concreting Sequence on a Continuous Composite Girder Bridge

Abstract

This paper deals with the slab concreting sequence and its influence on a composite steel and concrete continuous highway girder bridge. The bridge has a symmetrical composite two-girder structure with three spans of 60 m, 80 m, 60 m (i.e. a total length between abutments of 200.0 m). The horizontal alignment is straight. The top face of the deck is flat. The bridge is straight. The transverse cross-section of the slab is symmetrical with respect to the axis of the bridge. The total slab width is 12 m. The slab thickness varies from 0.4 m on main girders to 0.25 m at its free edges and 0.3075 m at its axis of symmetry. The center-to-center spacing between main girders is 7 m and the slab cantilever on either side is 2.5 m long. Every main girder has a constant depth of 2800 mm and the thicknesses of the upper and lower flanges are variable. The lower flange is 1200 mm wide whereas the upper flange is 1000 mm wide. The two main girders have transverse bracing at abutments and at internal supports and at regular intervals in every span. The material of concrete slab is C35/45 and of steel members S355. The on-site pouring of the concrete slab segments is performed by casting them in a selected order and is done after the launching of the steel two girder bridge. The paper presents several concreting sequences and their influence on the normal stresses and deflections of the composite bridge girder.