There are several good reasons why

precasl, preslressed concrele bridges

have gained such wide acceplance.
Some bridge designers are surprised
lo learn lhal precasl, preslressed
concrele bridges are usually lower
in lrsl cosl lhan olher lypes ol
bridges. Coupled wilh savings in
mainlenance, precasl bridges oller
maximum economy. Case-aller-case
can be ciled al localions lhroughoul
lhe Uniled Slales, and lhese bridges
are allraclive as well as economical.
The overall economy ol a slruclure
is measured in lerms ol ils lile-cycle
cosls. This includes lhe inilial cosl ol
lhe slruclure plus lhe lolal operaling
cosls. lor slalionary bridges, lhe
operaling cosl is lhe mainlenance
cosl. Precasl, preslressed concrele
bridges designed and buill in
accordance wilh AASHTO or APLMA
specilcalions should require lillle,
il any, mainlenance. 8ecause ol
lhe high qualily ol malerials used,
preslressed members are parlicularly
durable. laligue problems are
nonexislenl because lrallc loads
induce only minor nel slresses.
!DVANTAGESOF0RESTRESSED#ONCRETE"RIDGES
5
,OW)NITIAL#OST
The slale ol Minnesola
saved more lhan !6 hall a
million dollars by planning lor
a preslressed allernale lo a sleel
bridge. The 700-lool-long bridge is
joinlless up lo lhe abulmenls and
is lhe longesl conlinuous bridge
in lhe slale. ll also conlained lhe
slale's longesl single concrele span.
A Minnesola lransporlalion ollcial
slaled, "Originally, we didn'l lhink
concrele was suiled lo lhis.bridge.
However, lhe labricalor showed
us il was a viable allernalive.
Lverylhing wenl smoolhly.we're
well salisled."
-INIMAL-AINTENANCE
On lhe lllinois Toll Highway Syslem, during !957 and !958, lhe
superslruclures ol more lhan 250 bridges were buill wilh precasl
preslressed concrele l-beams. They span up lo 90 leel and some ol
lhem have precasl slay-in-place deck panels, precasl diaphragms,
and 94 use spun-casl, hollow cylinder pile column benls. They
have wilhslood heavy lrallc, severe wealhering and very high sall
applicalions. Yel, lhese bridges have required very lillle mainlenance.
Olher projecls in all parls ol Norlh America have exhibiled similar
experience lillle or no mainlenance has been required on precasl
preslressed concrele bridges.
Peduclion ol molorisl delays, complainls and accidenls. According lo
a reporl by lhe Texas Transporlalion lnslilule, cosls incurred by drivers
passing lhrough a work zone, along wilh engineering cosls, can be
$!0,000 lo $20,000 per day. ln urban areas, a lederal reporl slales lhal
lhe cosl ol work zones can reach $50,000 per day.
!9
MinimaI Trafc DisrupIion
ln San Juan, Puerlo Pico,
lhe lour, lolally precasl concrele
8aldorioly de Caslro Avenue
bridges were buill in record-
selling lime, allraclively and
economically.
Lach ol lour bridges, ranging
in lenglh lrom 700 lo 900 leel,
was erecled in less lhan 36 hours
lhal's lrom lhe lime lrallc was
re-rouled on lriday nighl unlil
lrallc resumed over lhe new
bridge on Salurday or Sunday!
This included lhe piers, lhe
superslruclure, lhe overlay and
lighling. ll was well wilhin lhe
owner's conslruclion allowance
ol 72 hours per bridge, a
condilion eslablished lo minimize
disruplion lo one ol lhe cily's
mosl highly lraveled corridors.
ln addilion lo speed, lhe
bridges also mel lhe cily's
budgelary needs. The lour box-
beam bridges were conslrucled
lor $2 million less lhan lhe nexl
lowesl bid lor anolher malerial.
ln addilion, lhe bridges will prove
durable and mainlenance-lree,
adding value lo lhis inveslmenl.
Wearing Course
100 ft. Long Precast
Box Beams,
42 Inches Deep
Precast Composite
Parapet
Precast Pier Cap
Threaded
Post-Tensioning Bars
Precast Box Pier
Cast-In-Place
Footing
4HE&UTURE
lnnovalion in bridge conslruclion has been, and will conlinue lo be lhe
ongoing locus in lhe precasl concrele induslry. The developmenl ol
horizonlally curved precasl concrele bridges is one such example oul ol
lhe pasl.
Anolher developmenl was lhe use ol precasl deck panels. Used as slay-in-
place lorms, lhe panels improve salely on lhe jobsile, reduce leld placemenl
ol reinlorcing sleel and concrele lor bridge decks, resulling in considerable
savings. The panels become composile lor live loads wilh lhe leld-placed
concrele and are now common in many slales.
20
lCl BRlDCL DLSlCN M^NU^L #(!04%2
1UN 04
Open-topped trapezoidal beams, or U-beams, are increasingly popular because of
their aesthetic appeal. They are not suitable for pier segments where the non-com-
posite beam is required to resist significant negative moments.
Figure 11.4.2-1d depicts a unique solution, which uses a hybrid combination of
precast and cast-in-place concrete. Precast I-beams achieve a slender, light-looking
mid-span element and are combined with cast-in-place concrete box beams at the
piers where compressive forces caused by negative moments require a large bottom
flange. While this solution has the benefit of improved section properties to resist
negative moments at the interior piers, construction is more complex and lengthy
than for more conventional precast construction. However, where structure depth
is severly restricted, a section like this has proven to be an economical solution for
several bridges.
By considering spliced beams, the designer has more flexibility to select the most
advantageous span lengths, beam depths, number and locations of piers, segment
lengths for handling, hauling and construction, and splice locations. As discussed
in Section 11.3.3, a commonly used splicing technique is to post-tension a series of
beams that are simply supported on piers or abutments. This achieves continuity for
deck weight and superimposed loads. In addition to the enhanced structural effi-
ciency of this system, post-tensioning can be used to assure that the deck is stressed
below its cracking limit, which improves durability considerably.
Another feature of spliced beams is the ability to adapt to horizontally-curved align-
ments. By casting the beam segments in appropriately short lengths and providing
the necessary transverse diaphragms, spliced beams may be chorded along a curved
alignment. This is shown clearly in Figure 11.4.3-1 that shows the Rosebank-Patiki
Interchange in New Zealand with a 492-ft radius.
11.4.3
5pan Arrangements anu
5p||ce Lccat|cn
|I!|K|K !|K!
11.4.2 Types cf Beams/11.4.3 5pan Arrangements anu 5p||ce Lccat|cn
Figurc 11.4.3-1
Thc Roscbank-Patiki
Intcrchangc, Ncw Zcaland
Pier segments
with strong backs
Splice at
Pier
Spliced
Beam Unite