Design of Skew Bridges (With

Diagram)
After reading this article you will learn about the design of
skew bridges with the help of diagrams.

The behaviour of skew bridges differs widely from that of

normal bridges and therefore, the design of skew bridges needs
special attention. In normal bridges, the deck slab is
perpendicular to the supports and as such the load placed on
the deck slab is transferred to the supports which are placed
normal to the slab.

Load transference from a skew slab bridge, on the other-hand,

is a complicated prob​lem because there remains always a
doubt as to the direction in which the slab will span and the
manner in which the load will be transferred to the sup​port.

It is believed that the load travels to the support in proportion

to the rigidity of the various paths and since the thickness of
the slab is the same everywhere, the rigidity will be maximum
along shortest span i.e. along the span normal to the faces of
the piers or abutments.

In Fig. 9.1, though the span of the deck is the length BC or DE,
the slab will span along AB or CD being the shortest distance
between the supports. Therefore, the plane of maximum
stresses in a skew slab are not parallel to the centre line of
roadway and the deflection of such slab produces a warped
surface.

The effect of skew in deck slabs having skew angles up to 20

degrees, is not so significant and in designing such bridges, the
length parallel to the centre line of the roadway is taken as the
span. The thickness of the slab and the reinforcement are
calculated with this span lengths and the reinforcement are
placed parallel to the centre line of the roadway.

The distribution bars are, however, placed parallel to the

supports as usual. When the skew angle varies from 20 degrees
to 50 degrees, the skew effect becomes significant and the slab
tends to span normal to the supports.

In such cases, the slab thickness is determined with shortest

span but the reinforcement worked out on the basis of shortest
span are multiplied by Sec.2 θ (θ being the skew angle) and are
placed parallel to the roadway as shown in Fig. 9.2a, the
distribution bars being placed parallel to the supports as usual.

It is also a common practice to place the reinforcement

perpendicular to the support when the skew angle lies
between 20 degrees to 50 degrees.
The thickness and the reinforcement are determined with span
normal to the support but since in placing the reinforcement
perpendicular to the supports, the corner reinforcement
within the area ABF or CDE (Fig. 9.1) do not get any support on
one side to rest on, the slab below the footpath (for bridge with
footpath) or below the road kerb (for bridge without footpath)
shall be provided with extra reinforcement to act as concealed
beam.

Alternatively, parapet girders as illustrated in Fig. 9.2b and 9.2c

may also be provided along the edge of the slab. Such parapet
girders are made flush with the bottom of the slab and
extended above the slab to the required height to form the
solid parapet. This sort of deck requires less quantity of steel in
slabs but parapet girders need additional cost.

For skew bridges angles more than 50 degrees, girders should

be used even though the spans are comparatively less. Where
the width of the bridge is not much, the girders may be placed
parallel to the roadway and the slab thickness and the
reinforcement may be designed with the spacing of the girders
as the span.

The reinforcement are placed normal to the girders (Fig. 9.3a).

In wider multi-lane skew crossings with large skew angles,
however, it is preferable to use the girders at right angles to the
supports. In such cases again, the triangular portions need
parapet girders to support one end of the girders. The
reinforcement are used normal to the girders as shown in Fig.
9.3b.

Reaction at Support:

It has been observed that due to the effect of skew, the

reactions at supports are not equal but the same is more at
obtuse angle comers and less at acute angle corners depending
on the angle of skew.

For skews up-to 20 degrees, the increase, in the reaction on the

obtuse angle corners is zero to 50 per cent and for skews from
20 degrees to 50 degrees, the increase is from 50 per cent to 90
per cent of the average reaction. The reaction on the obtuse
angle corner becomes twice the average reaction thus making
the acute angle corner a zero pressure point when the skew
angle reaches about 60 degrees.

Creep Effect:

Observations reveal that the longer diagonal of the skew deck

connecting the acute angle corners has a tendency to elongate
due possibly to the nature of the load transference on the
supports resulting in the movement or creep of the acute angle
comers as illustrated in Fig. 9.5a.

This creeping effect of the deck slab induces tension along

longer diagonal and tension cracks may appear if sufficient
steel is not provided to cater for this tensile stress (Fig. 9.5b).
Also on account of the creep, lifting and consequential cracks
occur at the acute angle corners and additional steel requires
to be provided at the top in both directions to prevent crack
due to lifting of the corners.
It may be seen in Fig. 9.5a that due to the creep of the deck slab,
considerable thrust is induced on the wing walls at X and Y i.e.
at the junction of abutment and the wing wall resulting in
development of cracks in wing walls or heavy damage.

In order to avoid the damage to wing walls due to creep effect,

it has been suggested by some authorities to provide fixed
bearings over abutments instead of free bearings so that
movement of the deck due to creep effect is prevented over the
abutments.

Sometimes the deck slab is fixed to the abutment cap with

dowel bars which seems to be the most effective means of
guarding against the creep effect Creep may be stopped over
piers by providing some raised blocks or buffers over piers.

This arrangement is shown in Fig. 9.6:

Layout of Bearings:

Preventive measure should be taken to guard against the

movement of the deck due to creep. It is suggested that the
following steps, if taken, may produce the desired result.

(i) Up to 15.0 m span for a single span bridge fixed bearings on

both the abutments may be used. The construction of single
span concrete bridges with two fixed bearings has been used
for years by the Wisconsin Highway Commission for span
lengths up to 45 feet (13.72 m). None of these bridges showed
signs of creep.

(ii) For multi-span simply supported bridges, fixed bearings

over the abutments and free or fixed bearings over the piers.
With this arrangement, it may be necessary to use two free
bearings on one pier.

The layout of the bearings should be such that no obstruction

is created against the free movement of the expansion
bearings. This requires the bearings to be oriented at right
angles to the girders instead of parallel to the piers or
abutments (similar to the normal crossings). The typical
layouts of the bearings in skew bridges are indicated in Fig. 9.7.

Layout of Expansion Joints S:

The main difference in the various types of layout illustrated in

Fig. 9.7 is in the manner of providing the expansion joint
between the adjacent decks. For getting straight expansion
joint, the type shown in Fig.9.7a is adopted but it requires more
pier width since some space between the bearings of the
adjacent spans remains unused.

The type of Fig. 9.7b also gives a straight joint but in order to
reduce the width of pier, the bearings are to be brought closer.

This necessitates encroachment of deck on the girders of the

adjacent spans which is achieved by making a notch over the
affected portions of the girders and the deck slab rests on these
notches. Suitable joint filler like lead sheet or tarred paper may
be inserted between the girders and the deck slab for free
movement of the expansion joint.

The width of pier as well as the location of the bearings for the
type shown in Fig. 9.7c are the same as in Fig. 9.7b but a saw-
toothed type of expansion joint is adopted here with a view to
avoid the sort of arrangements necessary for the second one.

Each of the types described herein has certain merits and

demerits and the one most suited for the bridge under
consideration may be used. The major points which a designer
has to consider carefully in the design of skew bridges have
been described here very briefly.

Now to illustrate the design principles, one worked out

example is presented below:

Example:

Design a solid slab skew bridge having a clear span of 7.5 m

along the roadway without any footpath and a skew angle of
25 degrees with IRC loading for N.H. Standard. M20 grade
concrete and S415 grade steel will be used:

Solution:

Since the skew angle exceeds 20 degrees, the slab thickness

may be designed with span normal to the support and the
reinforcement worked out with this span may be multiplied by
Sec. 2θ and the same may be provided parallel to the roadway.

Clear span normal to the supports = 7.5 cos 25ʹ = 7.5 x 0.9063 =
6.80 m

Effective span = Clear span + effective depth

Assuming an overall slab thickness of 600 mm, effective depth

is 600 – 40 = 560 mm. = 0.56 m.

... Effective span = 6.80 + 0.56 = 7.36 m.

Dead load moment:

...Dead load moment per metre width = 1800× (7.36)2 =12,190

Kgm.

Live load moment:

Single lane of Class 70-R tracked vehicle when placed centrally

will produce maximum-moment.
Distribution Steel:

Distribution steel may be calculated on the same principle as

in the case of design of square crossing solid slab bridge.

Moment in the transverse direction = 0.3 LLM + 0.2 other

moments = 0.3 x 13,520 + 0.2 x 12,190 = 6494 Kgm. = 63,600 Nm.

... As = 63,600 x 103/200 x 543 x0.904 = 648 mm2

Adopt 12 Φ HYSD bars @150 (As = 753 mm2)

Shear and Bond Stress:

The increase of support reaction near obtuse angle corner

shall be duly considered in working out the shear and bond
stresses.

Since the skew angle is 25 degrees, the maximum reaction at

the obtuse angle corner may be taken as 1.55 times the normal
reaction (Fig. 9.4). Average increased value for the half width of
the deck may be taken as 1.30 times the normal reaction.

... Maximum D.L. Shear per metre width = 1800 x 7.36/2 x 1.30 =
8610Kg.

Live Load Shear:

Arrangement of Reinforcement:

Two types of arrangement of reinforcement in line are shown

in Fig. 9.10 and 9.11 respectively. Reinforcement at top of acute
angle corners are provided to prevent cracks due to lifting of
the acute angle corners.
The area of main reinforcement, if placed perpendicular to the
support, is 2490 mm2 in which case 22 θ @ 150 mm gives As =
2535 mm2. However, if the reinforcement is placed parallel to
the roadway, area of steel required = 3038 mm2 for which 22
Φ@ 125 mm is required to be provided (As = 3040 mm2).

Details of Few Skew Slab Bridges:

The spans (effective right span at right angles to the supports)

for which the details are available are 4.37 m, 5.37 m, 6.37 m and
8.37 m with skew angles of 15ʹ, 30ʹ, 45ʹ and 60 for each span.

The design is based on M20 grade concrete and S415 grade

steel. Salient features of these skew bridges are given in Table
9.1 and 9.2. For further details, the standard plans under
reference may be referred.