Case Study of Concrete Deck Behavior in a Four-Span Prestressed Girder Bridge:Final Report

摘要

A substantial amount of deterioration of bridge decks is caused by corrosion ofthe top mat of steel. Evidence suggests that the actual tensile stresses at the upper surface of bridge decks are low. This reduces or eliminates the need for top reinforcement except for continuity over supports. One span of a four-span bridge was constructed without an upper mat of steel. A series of load test were conducted to induce high strains in the deck. Peak transverse tensile stresses were less than 30% of the concrete cracking strength. This study indicates that conventionally designed bridge decks do not require top steel for sustaining transverse tensile stresses induced by traffic.