Task Number: 16.2 Research Reports

Every new technology brings forth its own attendant problems. Segmental bridges are no exception. Fortunately, many of these have been studied in just the last few decades. The most pressing concerns have been identified, researched and incorporated into the AASHTO Guide Specifications for Design and Construction of Segmental Concrete Bridges, Second Edition 1999[1]. An extensive bibliography of research studies can be found in Section F.

Early research focused primarily on design issues such as, but not limited to, anchorage zones, deviators, epoxy, time-dependent losses and shear keys. Recently research has focused on field monitoring of actual bridges to measure external tendon forces, tendon stress losses, temperature gradients, fatigue stress ranges and bridge deflections. There is much confidence that the behavior of segmental bridges is well understood and reflected in the Guide Specification. Some segmental research can be found in The Transportation Research Board's National Transportation Library.

Less understood is the durability of bridges in general and segmental bridges in particular. Their history is short and the research emphasis has just recently begun to shift towards it [2,3 & 4].

References:

1. AASHTO Guide Specifications for Design and Construction of Segmental Concrete Bridges, 2^nd. Edition, 1999.

2. Podolny, W. et al., "Performance of Concrete Segmental and Cable-Stayed Bridges in Europe," Report FHWA-PL-01-019, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC, May 2001

3. Poston , R.W., and Wouters, J.P. "Durability of Precast Segmental Bridges," NCHRP Project 20-7/Task 92, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Washington, DC, 1998. http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/NCHRP15/chapters.html#figref2-2

4. Post-tensioned Concrete Bridges. Highways Agency, Transportation Research Laboratory. Thomas Telford Publishing, London, England, 1999.