Articles

Johannes Berger*
Sebastian Bruschetini-Ambro
Johann Kollegger

DOI: 10.1002/suco.201100022

An innovative design concept for improving

the durability of concrete bridges
It is proposed to build concrete bridges with tendons fully encapsulated in plastic ducts and without the use of reinforcing steel.
In this case the durability of the proposed bridge depends only on
the durability of the concrete because corrosion is no longer a
determining factor regarding the lifetime of the structure. The requirements of the serviceability and ultimate limit states are fulfilled by providing post-tensioned tendons with strands fully encapsulated in plastic ducts and watertight anchorages. Since the
proposed bridge does not contain any steel, which would be
endangered by material-related corrosion, there is no need for
insulation to the deck. Consequently, there is also no need for
pavement and edge beams. This concept of building bridges represents a breakthrough with regard to sustainability and durability of concrete bridges and is applicable to small and mediumsized bridges. The method has already been implemented for the
design of the Egg-Graben Bridge in the Groarl valley in the
province of Salzburg, Austria. Prior to the actual construction of
the bridge, large-scale tests were performed to obtain practical
values for the serviceability, ductility and loadbearing capacity of
this structural system.
Keywords: durability, prestressing, large-scale tests, concrete bridge,
electrically isolated tendon, plastic duct

Introduction

Frequently, the serviceability of the conventional sealing

of concrete bridges turns out to be unsatisfactory in practice. Imperfect sealing leads to chloride infiltration into
the structure due to cracks. If a road passes under a
bridge, there is the risk of chloride ingress caused by salt
spray spread over the surface of the bridge. In addition to
the sealings liability for repairs, the pavement requires
regular repair work. This periodic maintenance work
causes high costs and affects the traffic flow. The aim of
the project presented in this paper is to develop a technology that increases the life expectancy of concrete
bridges and thus at the same time reduces the frequency
of repair work.

* Corresponding author: johannes.berger@tuwien.ac.at

Submitted for review: 21 April 2011
Revised: 07 June 2011
Accepted for publication: 26 June 2011

Research programme

The research project Prestressed concrete bridges without reinforcing steel, sealing and pavement was initiated
in order to improve the durability of concrete bridges. To
achieve more durable concrete bridges, it is suggested that
concrete bridges should be built with the following characteristics:
The bridge is prestressed and has no mild steel reinforcement.
The prestressing steel is arranged in plastic ducts and is
also fully encapsulated in plastic at the anchorages.
There is no longer a need for sealing because there is no
reinforcement in the structure that is endangered by
corrosion.
There is no longer a need for a pavement to protect the
membrane. It is proposed to build the pavement with
high-quality concrete in a composite form with the
structure as the upper part of the bridge.
The edge beam is an integral part of the structure.
Bridges with short spans can also be designed as integral
bridges.
During construction, the economic advantage of the project consists of savings with regard to construction materials, i.e. neither reinforcing steel nor insulation, expansion
joints or edge beams are needed. Considering the future
savings in operation and maintenance, as well as the unlimited lifetime, the bridge will show a superior economic
performance compared to conventional bridge structures.

2.1

Large-scale tests

Large-scale tests were performed to obtain practical values for the serviceability, ductility and loadbearing capacity of this structural system, see Fig. 1. The design of the
specimens was inspired by the Egg-Graben Bridge. The dimensions were 15.3 0.63 0.5 m (L W D) and the effective span of the continuous beam was 7.5 m. Forces
were applied at distances of 2.5 m from the intermediate
support. For prestressing, a post-tensioning system with
plastic ducts and fully encapsulated anchorages was used.
Each tendon consisted of 7 strands of 150 mm2, grade
1570/1770. The specimen was concentrically prestressed
with straight tendon guidance and was deviated over the
final 1.5 m. The reinforcing bars were arranged to prevent

2011 Ernst & Sohn Verlag fr Architektur und technische Wissenschaften GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin Structural Concrete 12 (2011), No. 3

155

Structural Concrete 03/2011:

Nr. 022

J. Berger/S. Bruschetini-Ambro/J. Kollegger An innovative design concept for improving the durability of concrete bridges

Span 1
7.5m

Span 2
2.5m

2.5m

7.5m

C30/37

0.50

Cross Section
0.08 0.34 0.08

Structural System

0.315 0.315
0.63m

Fig. 1. Experimental setup

700
600

Load [kN]

500

1st Crack
Span

400
300

1st Crack
Intermediate support

200
100
0
0

10

15

20

25

Displacement [mm]
Span 1

Span 2

Fig. 2. Loaddeflection relationship

splitting tensile stress in the anchorage area of the tendons. Grade C30/37concrete was used.
The company that later carried out the prestressing
work for the bridge was also involved in the production of
the specimens in order to gain experience at a very early
stage of the project with regard to the construction
process and the installation of a measuring system (electrically isolated tendons) for monitoring the corrosion protection. A detailed description of the tests and test results
can be found in [1].

2.1.1 Load-deflection relationship

The load (displacement-controlled) was gradually applied
in order to record the development of cracks. The cracking moment, calculated with the mean value of the concretes tensile strength (C30/37, fctm = 2.9 N/mm2) was
302 kNm. The first cracks appeared over the intermediate
support at a moment of Mcrack,support = 448 kNm and in
the span at Mcrack,span = 363 kNm. Of great interest was
the structural behaviour in the cracked state. The load was
increased until the first cracks became visible, which appeared at the intermediate support at a force of 285 kN.
Up to this point, a linear relationship between load and
deformation was visible, see Fig. 2. Starting from the first
crack in the intermediate support area, a linear relationship is still recognizable, but with a slightly shallower

156

Structural Concrete 12 (2011), No. 3

slope due to the redistribution of the internal forces because of the cracked section at the intermediate support
area. The load was then increased until the first cracks
were visible in the span area, which took place at a force
of 420 kN. After that, the load-deflection relationship was
not linear any more because of the cracks, and a greater
increase in deformation occurred. The last load level
reached was F = 656 kN, with a maximum deflection of
umax = 21 mm, which corresponds to a ratio of l/357.
The achievement of the ultimate capacity was announced by the appearance of cracks (bending shear
cracks), spalling in the concrete compression zone and by
the rapid growth in deformations for an insignificant increase in load.

2.1.2 Crack pattern

The first cracks (intermediate support area) that occurred
had a crack width of 0.05 mm and a length of 0.10 m. After a further increase in the load (from 285 kN to 420 kN),
cracks also appeared in the span area, the crack width at
the intermediate support was already 0.5 mm and the
crack length 0.30 m. The cracks that appeared in the span
had a width of 0.05 mm and a length of 0.10 m.
Ultimate capacity was reached at a load of 656 kN,
with a maximum crack width of 2 mm and a maximum
crack length of 0.37 m. Upon reaching the ultimate load,

J. Berger/S. Bruschetini-Ambro/J. Kollegger An innovative design concept for improving the durability of concrete bridges
2.50m

2.50m

Span 2

Span 1

Fig. 3. Crack pattern at ultimate load

Moment [kNm]

800
MRm = 673 kNm

600

1st Crack
Intermediate support

100

MRm = 673 kNm

1st Crack
Intermediate support

200
6

10

12

0
200
1st Crack span

1st Crack span

100
600

MRm = 673 kNm

MRm = 673 kNm

800

Strain []
Span 1: Concrete-C
Span 1: Tendon-C
Span 1: Tendon-T

Int. Support: Concrete-C

Int. Support: Tendon-C
Int. Support: Tendon-T

Span 2: Concrete-C
Span 2: Tendon-C
Span 2: Tendon-T

Fig. 4. Momentstrain diagram

800

MRm = 673 kNm

600

Moment [kNm]

elastic relationship
100

1st Crack
Intermediate support
0.020

0.015

0.010

200
0.000
0

0.005

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

200
1st Crack span
400
elastic relationship
600
MRm = 673 kNm

800

Curvature [m1]
Span 1

Intermediate support

Span 2

Fig. 5. Moment-curvature relationship

the average crack spacing was 0.35 m, the maximum

0.40 m and the minimum 0.22 m, see Fig. 3. Spalling was
clearly visible in the concrete compression zone.

2.1.3 Strains in concrete and tendons

For the determination of the strain and curvature relationships, the strains due to post-tensioning and dead load

were calculated with a modulus of elasticity of

33000 N/mm2. The measured strains in the concrete in
compression and the tendons are shown in Fig. 4, which
also provides information about the strains in the concrete and tendons under ultimate load. At the intermediate support in the compression range, the curve is linear
up to a moment of 448 kNm (c = 0.73 ). Thus a nonlinear curve is the result, in which the maximum compres-

Structural Concrete 12 (2011), No. 3

157

J. Berger/S. Bruschetini-Ambro/J. Kollegger An innovative design concept for improving the durability of concrete bridges

sion of the concrete amounts to c,u = 4.21 . Due to

post-tensioning, the strain in the tendon was p,0 = 6.10
and the maximum strain reached during the test was
p,u = 10.19 .
In the span, the strain was measured at the points of
load application. The compression in the concrete compressive edge is the same in both spans, linear up to a moment of 363 kNm with a compression c = 0.67 . The
maximum compression, c,u = 2.29 , was reached at a
moment of 640 kNm. The strain in the tendon on the tension side behaves differently. Compared to span 2, a
greater increase in the strain can be seen in span 1 up to
the first crack. After cracking, the opposite behaviour is
noticeable. The maximum elongation was p,u = 10.27 .
Strain curves for the tendon in compression are shown as
well.

Table 1. Project participants

Client:

Province of Salzburg

Contractor:

ALPINE Bau GmbH

Tensioning:

Grund- Pfahl- und Sonderbau GmbH

Research:

Vienna University of Technology

Table 2. Project information

Concept:

Planning
team

2.1.4 Moment-curvature
The moment-curvature relationship is shown in Fig. 5,
and knowledge of the stiffness can be gained from this relationship. The curvature of the cross-section at the intermediate support progressed linearly until the first crack
appeared and corresponds well with the calculated elastic
moment curvature = M/EI (Ec = 33 000 N/mm2). After
the appearance of the first crack, a significant drop in
stiffness is noticeable. Again, in the fully cracked state, a
nearly constant stiffness EI(II) can be observed; however, it
amounts to just 1/9 of the stiffness of the uncracked crosssection. The maximum curvature is max;support =
0.0195 m1. The relationship in the two spans is not completely identical. In the uncracked state, span 2 shows a
greater curvature than span 1. After the first cracks have
occurred, a contrasting behaviour can be observed.

2.2

Results of experimental investigations

The construction of crack-free concrete bridges with corrosion-resistant reinforcement can be accomplished according to the system described. The omission of reinforcing steel is regulated by standards such as EC2 [2, 3], and
the requirements of this structure regarding serviceability,
ductility and loadbearing capacity could be demonstrated
experimentally. It was also shown that by using prestressing only without further reinforcement, ductile behaviour
at the ultimate limit state can be achieved. The announcement of the failure by deformations, large crack widths
and, finally, through spalling of the concrete in the compression zone as required in the design of reinforced concrete structures, was sufficiently demonstrated by the tests.
The comparison of the ultimate load reached experimentally with the calculated ultimate load show that the calculations with mean values of material strengths are in good
accordance with the experimental values.

Construction
design:
Project data

BauCon ZT GmbH, Zell am See

Duration:
Sept 2007 Dec 2009
Bridge length: 50.68 m

3.1

Bridge design

Due to the heterogeneity of the rock (geological fault zone

in the area of the bridge, different rock properties between
the two abutments and partially within the contact area of
one abutment) and the steepness of the terrain, a structural system was required that would span the valley without
any support. It was decided to build an arch bridge because under the present conditions, the demands on the
supporting structure could be best met with an arch. In
choosing the shape of the arch, it was observed that due to
the different heights of the arch base points, an asymmetric deformation of the structure occurred under dead
loads. To solve the problem, a polygonal arch form was
chosen. It was not possible to comply with the request of
the Bridge Department of the province of Salzburg, i.e. to
design an integral bridge. The initial calculations showed
that the additional stresses due to temperature variation
and shrinkage caused large restraint forces. For this project it was decided to install elastomeric bearings to separate the superstructure from the abutment walls. The design of the bridge was also inspired by Schwandbach
Bridge (1933), Switzerland [4]. That bridge, designed by
Robert Maillart, is a very slender bridge, curved on plan,
with an arch of 0.2 m thickness and a span of 37.4 m, and
has been protected as a historic monument since 1984.

Construction

Egg-Graben Bridge

The Egg-Graben Bridge is the first bridge in Austria for

which the method of prestressing without using reinforcing steel for the superstructure was used. The bridge was
built for the upgrade to the L109-Groarler state road
and is located in the Groarl valley the province of

158

Institute for Structural

Engineering,
Vienna University of Technology

Salzburg, Austria. The partners involved in the project are

listed in Tables 1 and 2.

3.2
3

Structural
calculations:

Dipl.-Ing. Franz Brandauer

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Johann Kollegger

Structural Concrete 12 (2011), No. 3

The abutments are rotated through 30 to the road axis

and are founded fully in the unweathered rock. The transition of the superstructure to the soil behind the abutment was achieved with drag plates attached to the structure with stainless steel reinforcement. The Egg-Graben
Bridge was designed as a polygonal arch bridge, see Fig. 6.

J. Berger/S. Bruschetini-Ambro/J. Kollegger An innovative design concept for improving the durability of concrete bridges

Fig. 6. Longitudinal section along bridge axis

Fig. 7. Standard section through bridge superstructure

Following the design of the Schwandbach Bridge,

the layout of the arch on the mountain side is straight and
on the downhill side it follows the curvature of the deck.
The arch has a thickness of 0.50 m at the bearing and tapers along the first 3.50 m to a thickness of 0.40 m, then
remains constant over the entire arc length. The two arch
piers are 3.25 and 3.70 m high, with a thickness of 0.16 m.
The front of the piers overhangs on the downhill side,
which emphasizes the curvature of the bridge on plan. A
continuous prestressed concrete slab was chosen for the
superstructure, which is curved on plan with a radius of
50 m. This slab is supported by two pier walls as well as
the intersection with the arch in the middle. The resulting
five-span superstructure with two cantilevers on the bearing axis has a total length L = 2.37 + 7.97 + 7.97 + 14.03 +
7.97 + 7.95 + 2.42 = 50.68 m on the bridge axis. Fig. 7
shows a cross-section, a slab 9.50 m wide and 0.50 m deep.

3.3

Analysis [5]

The design of the bridge was carried out with the loads according to Eurocode, taking into consideration the individual effects of dead load, wind load, temperature effects,
unusual effects and traffic loads on bridges, as regulated
by the Austrian Standard NORM EN 1991-2 [6]. The relevant forces for the design of the bridge resulted from
varying effects with regard to road traffic. Load model 1
(LM1) was used as the traffic load. Loading due to special
vehicles was not considered.
Due to the complex geometry, the forces were calculated using a finite element program in a 3D model. The
3D model corresponds to the actual geometry of the
bridge, only the transverse gradient was neglected. To verify the results, a 1 m strip of the bridge was analysed with
a program for the design of frame structures. Determina-

Structural Concrete 12 (2011), No. 3

159

J. Berger/S. Bruschetini-Ambro/J. Kollegger An innovative design concept for improving the durability of concrete bridges

tion of the forces was accomplished with a linear elastic

material model.

3.3.1 Superstructure reinforcement

To ensure structural safety and serviceability, the slab was
prestressed in the longitudinal and transverse directions.
Essentially, there is no further steel reinforcement, except
in the edge and the local anchorage zone (splitting tensile). Stainless steel reinforcement (1.4571, BSt 500) was
used for these two applications. For the longitudinal and
transverse directions, 07-150 tendons (Ap = 1050 mm2) in
steel grade St 1570/1770 were used. The tendons are fitted
in plastic ducts. They were sealed with a permanent plastic anchor cap and the plastic ducts were grouted with cement mortar. The number of tendons was chosen in such
a way that the analysis of decompression for the frequent
combination of actions would be met at each point of the
bridge. Several alternatives were studied in order to find
an optimum tendon profile. Ultimately, a central tensioning in both directions of the bridge was chosen. In the longitudinal direction, two tendons were arranged one above
the other. A total of 15 tendons was required, which resulted in a spacing of 0.63 m. The spacing of the 94 transverse
tendons is 0.50 m on the mountain side and 0.54 m on the
downhill side.
The analysis for the limitation of crack widths at the
serviceability limit state was performed as follows. According to NORM EN 1992-1-1 7.3.2 (4) [2], NORM
EN 1992-2 [3] and NORM EN 1992-1-1 [2], no minimum
reinforcement is required for structural elements made of
prestressed concrete if under the characteristic combination of actions and the characteristic prestress the concrete remains in compression or the absolute value of the
tensile stress in the concrete is less than ct,p. The value
for ct,p can be found in the National Annex. For the concrete used, the recommended value is fct,eff = fctm =
2.9 N/mm2 (Austria). To prevent tension from indirect effects (restraint forces), the bearing of the structure was
chosen in such a way that no restraint forces from thermal
stress or shrinkage would occur. Since the analysis could
be performed for the relevant position, the superstructure
does not need minimum reinforcing steel. Three different
load combinations were considered for the analysis at the
ultimate limit state:
Permanent and temporary design situations
Exceptional design situation
Earthquake
The bridge is located in earthquake zone 1 and the reference ground acceleration for the site is 0.41 m/s2. The results of the calculations show that the load combination
for the seismic design is not the decisive design situation
for the bridge. The relevant forces for the design of the
bridge were the result of the basic combination. The bending analysis showed that the moment of resistance MRd of
the superstructure is greater than the effective moment
MEd due to the relevant load combination. The ultimate
limit state analysis is guaranteed only by prestressing, so
no further reinforcing steel is used.
The analysis of the shear resistance was carried out
by comparing the effective shear force VEd and shear force

160

Structural Concrete 12 (2011), No. 3

resistance VRd in the relevant section. Since the design

value for the shear force resistance VRd,c is higher than the
effective shear force VEd, transverse reinforcement (shear
links) in the structure has been omitted.

3.4

Construction work on site

Construction work for the substructure began in the autumn of 2008. The unweathered rock was found 8 m below ground level and so extensive excavation work was required. The foundation consisted of a reinforced concrete
slab (L W D = 15.0 /5.0 2.0 m) on the rock. The
work for the falsework of the arch began the following
spring. During the concreting of the arch, the region
where the intersection of the arch with the superstructure
takes place was omitted. The intersection was cast simultaneously with the superstructure. In the steep region of
the arc, from the foundation to the rising wall, a wall formwork was used and filled with self-compacting concrete.
With regard to the assembly, particular attention was
necessary when the reinforcement for the arch was laid
because the starter bars for the pier walls were made of
stainless steel (1.4571, BST 500). To avoid galvanic corrosion [7], contact between normal reinforcing steel and
stainless steel reinforcement had to be ruled out. Conventional reinforcing steel was used for the arch because no
direct penetration of water contaminated with chloride
was expected and the geometry of the arch was designed
in such a way that no tensile stresses occurred under dead
load. Further, the material costs were much lower compared with those of stainless steel. Self-compacting concrete was also used for the pier walls reinforced with stainless steel. Due to the very thin cross-sectional dimensions
of the arch, which were possible only because of the special geometry of the arch, an accuracy of 10 mm was
specified for the construction.
After completing the formwork for the superstructure, the anchor pockets, which had been produced at the
factory, were mounted. For the anchorage of the longitudinal tendons, placed in the structure area above each other,
it was necessary to deviate them at both abutments in order to accommodate the anchor heads. The plastic duct
sections 5 m long were connected by mirror welding. The
sensitivity of the plastic ducts with regard to the thermal
expansion behaviour needed special attention. The thermal expansion of the ducts could be controlled as soon as
an orthogonal grid of tendons was formed and the strands
were inserted. For the location and the installation of the
tendons at the proper level, supports made of fibre-cement
blocks (cut lengths) were arranged at each intersection between longitudinal and transverse tendon, see Fig. 8.
The maximum distance between the supports for the
ducts was 0.80 m according to the approval [8]. Since the
distance between longitudinal tendons was 0.63 m, and
0.50 m between transverse tendons, it proved to be advantageous to support every intersection between tendons. To
ensure a flat contact area between fibre-cement block and
duct, plastic half-shells were clipped to the ribbed duct.
The fibre-cement blocks were attached by plastic cable
ties. The cross-connection of the ducts formed a stable
mesh, see Fig. 9.

J. Berger/S. Bruschetini-Ambro/J. Kollegger An innovative design concept for improving the durability of concrete bridges

Fig. 8. Detail of tendon support

Fig. 10. Stainless steel reinforcement to control tensile splitting in anchorage zones

Fig. 9. Tendons in superstructure

Threading of the strands was carried out prior to

concreting. The weight of the strands corresponded to the
buoyancy force resulting from the volume of the duct in
the concrete. Therefore, the ducts were not secured
against floating. The reinforcement content of the structure amounted to 85 kg of prestressing steel per cubic metre of concrete. Steel reinforcement (stainless steel) was installed only in the side areas and the local anchorage zone
to resist the tensile forces, see Fig. 10.
The following actions were taken in order to reduce
restraint due to hydration before tensioning: To keep the
temperature development low, concrete C30/37(56)/
BS1C/GK22/F45 was used. This RRS concrete (radically
reduced shrinkage, according to NORM B 4710 [9])
reaches its design strength after 56 days. The slower setting process leads to a lower temperature development.
The shortening of the superstructure due to loss of hydration heat and early shrinkage did not result in restraint
stresses because of the favourable bearing conditions with
the fixed point at the intersection of arch and superstructure in the middle of the bridge. The autumnal weather
conditions also had a beneficial effect.
The concreting of the superstructure with the integrated edge beams began on 15 September 2009 at 6.45
a.m. and lasted 12 hours. The weather turned out to be

Fig. 11. Concreting the superstructure

favourable and the air temperature ranged between 5 C in

the morning and 20 C at noon. A temporary timber construction was built for concreting the superstructure, see
Fig. 11. The surface treatment was carried out by spraying
an evaporative protection.
Two days after concreting, the tensioning was carried
out with 25 % of the full prestressing force. The full prestressing force was applied 13 days after concreting. The
tensioning process always started with the transverse tendons. After completing the stressing operations, the grouting of the ducts was carried out with cement mortar. The
concentric compressive stress applied in the longitudinal
direction amounted to 8.0 N/mm2, and 5.0 N/mm2 in
the transverse direction.
Striking of the bridge formwork began one month after concreting had finished. The deformation of the structure due to self-weight amounted to 4.0 mm in the centre,

Structural Concrete 12 (2011), No. 3

161

J. Berger/S. Bruschetini-Ambro/J. Kollegger An innovative design concept for improving the durability of concrete bridges

The impedance between the strands and the steel reinforcing bars is measured. As there is no reinforcing steel
located in the structure, an additional stainless steel reinforcing bar was installed to take measurements. For the
Egg-Graben Bridge, five measurements have been carried
out so far. On average, the length-normalized electrical
resistance amounts to Rl,mean = 7500 km (Rl,min =
6800 km, Rl,max = 10 000 km). Fluctuations in the results are due to changing environmental conditions such
as humidity, rainfall, temperature or season. The value requested by the client was set at Rl,reqd > 300 km (= high
electrical insulation). The very high values measured are
due to the tightness of the plastic ducts. An EIT measuring
box has been installed so that it is possible to carry out further measurements in the future.

Conclusion

Fig. 12. View of underside of bridge Pez Hejduk: www.pezhejduk.at

Fig. 13. View of finished bridge Pez Hejduk: www.pezhejduk.at

and thus complied with the calculated deformation. The

completed bridge is shown in Figs. 12 and 13. The cost of
the bridge amounted to 1,063,304.00 incl. 20 % VAT.
This represents a price of 2,209/m2 bridge superstructure.

3.5

Electrically isolated tendons

The post-tensioning kit used allowed the longitudinal tendons to be run electrically isolated. Using a system with
compatible plastic ducts and an anchor with plastic ducts
provides an opportunity for non-destructive monitoring of
corrosion protection of tendons by measuring the electrical resistance [10]. The use of electrically isolated tendons
permits checking of the electrical insulation and the tightness of plastic ducts, and thus facilitates measurements
with regard to the condition of a tendon during its entire
service life.
A decrease in the resistance indicates the ingress of
moisture into the duct. This therefore amounts to monitoring the corrosion protection of the prestressing steel.

162

Structural Concrete 12 (2011), No. 3

Prestressed concrete bridges without steel reinforcement

are well in accord with the requirements with regard to
serviceability and ultimate limit states. The durability of
the bridge depends only on the durability of the concrete
when corrosion of the reinforcement is prevented. No
additional steel reinforcement is necessary for prestressed
bridges with bonded tendons completely encapsulated in
plastic ducts. The tendons are well protected and therefore not susceptible to corrosion. This idea is a new
perspective regarding the construction of durable bridges
and is applicable for small and medium-sized bridges. It
took several years of research work at the Institute for
Structural Engineering, Vienna University of Technology,
with the aim of improving the durability of concrete
structures. The approach of building concrete structures
without reinforcing steel susceptible to corrosion has
been found in the course of the research project and has
proved effective. The feasibility of the technology was
proved in extensive experimental studies and numerical
simulations. Together with a client interested in innovation, the method could be applied for the first time for the
construction of the Egg-Graben Bridge.

Acknowledgments
The field tests were performed within a research project
which is funded by:
sterreichische Forschungsfrderungsgesellschaft mbH
(FFG)
Vereinigung der sterreichischen Zementindustrie
(VZ)
Bundesministerium fr Verkehr, Innovation und Technologie (BMVIT)
Land Salzburg, Abteilung 6, Landesbaudirektion, 6/23
Brckenbau
Autobahnen- und Schnellstrassen-Finanzierungs-Aktiengesellschaft (ASFINAG)
BB Infrastruktur Bau AG, ES-Brckenbau und konstruktiver Ingenieurbau
ALPINE Bau GmbH
STRABAG AG, Sparte Hoch- und Ingenieurbau
Holcim (Wien) GmbH
Their support is gratefully acknowledged.

J. Berger/S. Bruschetini-Ambro/J. Kollegger An innovative design concept for improving the durability of concrete bridges

References
1. Illich, G.: Versuche an statisch unbestimmt gelagerten Plattenstreifen ohne Bewehrung aus Betonstahl. Master thesis,
Vienna University of Technology, E212-2, 2008.
2. NORM EN 1992-1-1. Eurocode 2.: Bemessung und Konstruktion von Stahlbeton und Spannbetontragwerken, Teil 11: Allgemeine Bemessungsregeln und Regeln fr den Hochbau, Nov 2005.
3. NORM EN 1992-2 Eurocode 2.: Bemessung und Konstruktion von Stahlbeton und Spannbetontragwerken, Teil
2: Betonbrcken- Bemessungs- und Konstruktionsregeln,
Sept 2007.
4. Eidgenssische Materialprfungs- und Versuchsanstalt fr
Industrie, Bauwesen und Gewerbe Zrich.: Versuche und
Erfahrungen an ausgefhrten Eisenbeton- Bauwerken in der
Schweiz 1924-1937, Beilage zum XXVI. Jahresbericht des
Vereins schweizerischer Zement-, Kalk- und Gips- Fabrikanten, 1937.
5. Ambro, S. Z.: Betontragwerke ohne Bewehrung aus Betonstahl. PhD thesis, Vienna University of Technology, E212-2,
2008.
6. NORM EN 1991-2, Eurocode 1.: Einwirkungen auf Tragwerke; Teil 2: Verkehrslasten auf Brcken, Aug 2004.
7. Nrnberger, U.: Korrosion und Korrosionsschutz im Bauwesen. Wiesbaden, Bau-Verlag, ISBN 3-7625-3199-4.
8. European Technical Approval ETA 06/0006.: VSL Post-Tensioning System, Post-Tensioning Kits for Prestressing of
Structures, Jul 2006.
9. NORM B 4710.: Beton Teil 1: Festlegung, Herstellung,
Verwendung und Konformittsnachweis (Regeln zur Umsetzung der NORM EN 206-1), Oct 2007.
10. Elsener, B.: Monitoring of electrically isolated post-tensioning tendons, Tailor-Made Concrete Structures Walraven &
Stoelhorst, Taylor & Francis Group, London, 2008.

Johannes Berger, Dipl.-Ing.

Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Structural Engineering
Karlsplatz 13/212-2
1040 Vienna
Tel.: +43-1-58801/21256
Fax: +43-1-58801/21299
johannes.berger+e212@tuwien.ac.at

Sebastian Zoran Bruschetini-Ambro, Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.

formerly:
Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Structural Engineering
Karlsplatz 13/212-2
1040 Vienna
currently: Strabag AG, Wien
sebastian.bruschetini-ambro@strabag.com

Johann Kollegger, O. Univ. Prof., Dipl.-Ing., Dr.-Ing., M.Eng.

Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Structural Engineering
Karlsplatz 13/212-2
1040 Vienna
Tel.: +43-1-58801/21202
Fax: +43-1-58801/21299
johann.kollegger@tuwien.ac.at

Structural Concrete 12 (2011), No. 3

163