To prevent concrete deckslabs in steel-concrete bridges from cracking, a new technique has been developed by three Dutch companies. The benefits of using a composite solution in bridge design are enlarged with this technique which is called "hydraulic compression joint". In the introduction a short summary of this technique is given. For all ins and outs of this technique a reference is made to the paper of Mr. D. Tuinstra in these congress proceedings. In chapter 2 of this paper the use of the hydraulic compression joint in statically undetermined bridges is explained. The hydraulic compression joint gives the opportunity to reach a high compression force in the concrete slab at the mid support without using high-tensile strands or bars. The anchor plates through which the compression force of the hydraulic joint is exerted as a tensile force and a bending moment to the steel girder are part of a follow up investigation at the TU Delft. Results of this investigation in which finite element methods are used are showed in chapter 3 of this article.
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