82 Highway Bridge Superstructure Engineering: LRFD Approaches to Design and Analysis

Table 2.1
Types of Highway Bridge Superstructure Systems
Supporting Components Type of Deck Typical Cross Section
Steel beam Cast-in-place concrete slab, precast
concrete slab, steel grid, glued/
spiked panels, stressed wood
(a)

Closed steel or precast concrete boxes Cast-in-place concrete slab

(b)

Open steel or precast concrete boxes Cast-in-place concrete slab, precast

concrete deck slab

(c)

Cast-in-place concrete multicell box Monolithic concrete

(d)

Cast-in-place concrete T-beam Monolithic concrete

(e)

Precast solid, voided or cellular Cast-in-place concrete overlay

concrete boxes with shear keys

(f)

Precast solid, voided, or cellular Integral concrete

concrete box with shear keys and
with or without transverse P/T

posttensioning (g)

Precast concrete channel sections with Cast-in-place concrete overlay

shear keys

(h)

Precast concrete double-T section with Integral concrete

shear keys and with or without
P/T
transverse posttensioning
(i)

Precast concrete T-section with shear Integral concrete

keys and with or without transverse P/T
posttensioning
(j)

(Continued)
Highway Bridge Superstructure Systems 83

Table 2.1 (Continued)

Types of Highway Bridge Superstructure Systems
Supporting Components Type of Deck Typical Cross Section
Precast concrete I or bulb-T sections Cast-in-place concrete, precast
concrete

(k)

Wood beams Cast-in-place concrete or plank,

glued/spiked panels or stressed
wood

(l)

Source: AASHTO LRFD Specifications for Highway Bridges, 6th ed., Copyright 2012, by the American Association of
State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC. Used by permission.

Out-to-out dimension
Railing
Clear roadway width

Slab CL Sidewalk

Overhang Haunch
Interior stringer

Exterior
Equally spaced stringers (four shown)
stringer

Figure 2.11  Superstructure Type a: cross section of slab-steel beam bridge. The cast-in-place concrete
deck is built to act compositely with the WF steel beams or plate girders.

4. Composite action between the RC deck and the supporting beams/girders is developed by
providing steel shear connectors welded to the top flanges of beams/girders and embedded
sufficiently into the deck to prevent interfacial slip.

2.3.2  Spread-Box Beam Superstructure (Type b)

This type of superstructure (Figure 2.12) consists of a continuous cast-in-place RC deck supported
over several equally spaced steel or concrete box beams that span longitudinally and supported over
the abutments. The deck is designed to support both the dead and live loads, and to act compositely
with the beams.

2.3.3  Open Steel or Precast Concrete Box Superstructure (Type c)

This type of superstructure (Figure 2.13) consists of either open steel or precast concrete girders.
The deck supported over the steel girders is a cast-in-place concrete slab that is designed to act com-
positely with the girders under live load. The deck supported by precast concrete girders consists of
precast concrete slab.