Extending the Span Range of

Precast Concrete Girders

Eric Thorkildsen
Collins Engineers
Why?

How?
Caltrans Prestressed Concrete
Technical Committee
California Cast-In-Place Box Girder
• 95% of Bridges
• Steel way too expensive
• Precast concrete too limited
• Typical CIP Box Girder
Span 170’
Precast
Cast I
n Place
Precast Cheated
 Caltrans Spliced Precast Girder
• Span range
compatible
with CIP
Box Girder
• Seismic
Connection
at top of
Pier
Seismic Research
 The New England Move

• PCI looking for #13 or #16

economical Concrete
alternative to Steel 180 mm
Semi Rigid Duct
40 mm

Bridges
Maximum size
varies (65 to 72)
according to
stirrup

• Similar restrictions to
reinforcement

25 mm min.

California, just spacing between ducts

different competition 55 mm min.

(Steel) At Midspan

NEBT Post-Tension Standard Details

Clearance Requirements for Ducts - Sheet 1

SIZE FSCM NO DWG NO REV

2/01

SCALE No Scale SHEET 2 of 8

New England (NorthEast) Bulb Tee

• 7” wide web to
accommodate
PT
New York State DOT Standards
NCHRP 12-57
National
Cooperative
Highway
Research
Program
under the
Transportation
Research Board
(TRB)
www.trb.org/trb/bookstore
Research Project Statement

“The objective of this research is to

develop recommended load and
resistance factor design (LRFD)
procedures, standard details, and
design examples for achieving
longer spans using precast,
prestressed concrete bridge
girders”
 Main Focus – Spliced Girders

“A Spliced Girder is a precast prestressed

concrete member that is fabricated in
several relatively long pieces (girder
segments) that are assembled into a single
girder for the final bridge structure. Post-
tensioning is generally used to reinforce the
connection between girder segments”
 Technology not New

• First Spliced
Bridge early
50s
• 250 Spliced
Girder Bridges
• Many in Florida
and Northwest
 Special Conditions

54 m Span
Pre-Tension vs. Post-Tension
Post-Tensioning Applications
Post-Tensioning Applications
Spliced Girder ≠ Segmental Bridge

High Tech PT High Tech PT

 Not a Segmental Bridge!!!

Spliced Girders Segmental Bridge

• 2 to 3 segments/span • 8’ to 10’ segments
• Standard Girder • Customized Girder
Shapes Shapes
• Conventional • Specialty Erection
Erection • Only post tensioned.
• Both pretensioned
and post tensioned.
 Why?

• Hauling Limits
• Weight Restrictions
• Minimize substructure units
• No room for falsework (Caltrans Box Girder)
• Increase Speed of Construction
• No need for long waits for Steel Plate Girders
– New York Experience
Why?
Why not just use Steel

Splice
 Cons

• Increased
cost
– Temporary
Supports
– Post-
Tensioning
 Spliced Girder Design Strategy
• Use precast girders
• Pretension girders for handling,
erection, possibly live load
resistance
• Post-tension girders for
continuity, resistance to live
loading, extended spans
• Do you need Temporary
Shoring?
• Post-Tensioning before or after
deck is placed
• Future deck replacement
Old Steel Bridge

New Splice Girder Bridge

 Strongbacks used instead of
temporary shoring
Bridge Example
 Rte. 17 over Wallkill River

• NYSDOT Design, Eltaj Mekki

• Replace old 3 span bridge with 2 span
– Increased hydraulic opening
– New pier as opposed to seismically deficient
• Use existing piers as temporary supports
• Total bridge length, 109 m total length, 3
segments 38.75/31.75/38.75m
Plan Layout
Elevation View
Fabrication and Transport
Erection
Post Tensioning
Place Deck
 Pre-Tensioned ‘plus’ Post-
Tensioned
• Code Equation for Creep

• Equation assumes only one stage of

prestress, not so with Spliced Girders
Creep - Additional Term
Anchorage Loss
 NCHRP Design Examples

1. Simple Span Bridge 61 m (200’) Long

2. Two Span Bridge

50.75 m (166.5’) / 46 m (151.5)
= 97 m (318’)

3. Three Span Bridge 64/85/64 m

(210/280/210’) = 213 m (700’)
 Design
Example
#1
Single
Span
Simplified Loss
Assumptions, no
Time
Dependent
Construction
Sequence
Center Segment 125 kips
 Duct < 0.4 bw
8” web
 Pretensioned
For Handling

12 – 0.6”
diam. strands
End Anchor Stress
Controls Design
 Design of Girder Splice

• 1’-2” Wide
• PT twice
capacity of
applied shear
• Add nominal
rein. Per spec.
Example 2
– Bathtub
Girder

Integral Cap
Traffic Considerations
Example 3- Haunched Girders
• Pier Segment /
Continuous Spans
most Efficient
Spliced Girder
Design
• 15’ Deep Girder
over Pier,
Transport
problem?
 Acknowledgments –
NCHRP Project
• Reid Castrodale, PhD. P.E. Ralph
Whitehead Associates, Inc.
– Jay Holombo, Dowell-Holombo Engineering
– Clark Williams – CTW Engineering
– Jon Grafton – Pomeroy Corp.
– Chuck Prussack – Central Pre-Mix Prestress
– Donald Theobald, Gulf Coast Pre-Stress