FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

CES-5325 / CGN-4930 Design of Highway Bridges - Spring Term 2005

Professor L. A. Prieto-Portar

Homework No. 1 (10 points)

(due on Thursday, 3 February)

The first two slides of Lecture #1 (in my website) show two tables that I prepared a few years
ago, to represent all the bridge types versus their span length range. Those two tables need to be
improved. Firstly, they need to be united in a single table. And secondly, they need to integrate
some additional information offered below.

You can work in groups, or individually. The grade (10 points) will be given based on (1) the
completeness of using all the data provided and accuracy, and (2) the simplicity and appeal of the
graphics, to you and others that will use it in the future.

Bridge Type Span Length

Minimum Maximum
Prestressed PC: Voided Slab 6 15
Concrete PC: AASHTO Standard I Beam 9 36
PC: Box Girder 30 180
Segmental Concrete SC: Balanced Girder 25 30
Cantiliber (2.0<Depth<2.5)
SC: Balanced Girder 50
Cantiliber (2.5<Depth<3.0)
SC: Cast in Place Balance 30 250
Cantiliver
SC: Precast Balanced 30 250
Cantiliver
Steel-Concrete Composite COMPOSITE: I-Girder 20 98
COMPOSITE: Box Girder 20 197
Steel STEEL: Plate Girder 30 260
STEEL: Cable Stayed 90 850
Girder
STEEL: Truss 90 550
Steel Truss Arch 240 500
Steel Rib Arch 120 400
STEEL: Suspension 300 3000

BRIDGE TYPE SPAN CHARACTERISTICS AND

COMMENTS
Reinforced Concrete Deck <30 Economical, Stress Analysis
Slab not required
T-Beam 30 60 Complicated Formwork
 Good for stream crossings
6.0 Clearance needs to be
provided
Box Girder (Bar 60 100 Slightly more expensive than
Reinforced) the T-Beam except for spans
greater than 100 due to
deflections.
Aesthetically Pleasing
Required Detailed Stress
Analysis
Good in Metropolitan areas.
Box Girder (Cast-in-Place Up to 600 Better Appearance than
Prestressed) conventional Box Girders
Shallow Depth
Prestressed Concrete Slab Up to 65 More expensive than
reinforced concrete slabs
Precast Varies Economical where many
spans are needed
Simple detail and formwork
Not recommended for long
multispan structures
Camber difficult to control
Prestressed Concrete 30 300 Costs more than reinforced
Girders concrete slabs in terms of
depth to span ratio
Spans greater than 120 cant
be used
I-Girders is good for spans
60 120
Composite Welded Girders 60 300 Low dead load, good for
poor foundation conditions
Details and formwork
simple
Can be adapted to curved
alignment
Structural Steel Box 60 500 Should be used in special
situations
More expensive than steel I
Girders
Complicated welding and
welding details
Good Appearance