Unconventional high performance steel bridge girder systems

摘要

The use of high performance steel (HPS) in the construction of steel bridge girngirdersrnin the USA has been growing steadily in recent years. HPS offers several improved propertiesrnover conventional bridge steels, including high strength, excellent fracture toughness, goodrnweldability, and resistance to corrosion. Research has shown that HPS has the potential to producernsignificant weight savings in design, although design limits associated with web instability,rnexcessive deflections, and fatigue may impede the effectiveness of HPS in conventionalrnI-girders with transverse stiffeners. In order to circumvent these design limits, several unconventionalrnI-girder systems are being studied, including corrugated web I-girders (CWGs) andrnconcrete-filled tubular flange I-girders (CFTFGs). These girder systems offer enhanced stabilityrnand longer fatigue life compared to conventional I-girders with transverse stiffeners, whichrnmakes them well-suited for use in combination with HPS. Other underlying benefits includernlighter weight and reduced maintenance cost. This paper provides an overview of recent researchrnconducted at Lehigh University on CWGs and CFTFGs.