2.

4 SHEAR
CONNECTION
• Headed stud connector is the most common ways to provide a shear
connection between the steel girders and the deck slab
This is a headed dowel that is welded to the top flange using a special
semi-automatic welding tool that supplies an electrical pulse
sufficient to fuse the end of the dowel to the flange.

• There are other forms of shear connectors, such as welding steel bars
with hoops, perforated plates, welded T-shaped plates and short
lengths of channel.
2.5 Dealing with curvature
and skew
2.5.1 Curved decks
• Where the bridge deck is curved horizontally (to suit the road alignment) the girders beneath the slab can
either be straight or curved in plan.
• The disadvantage of such an arrangement is that the length of the cantilever varies along the bridge.
Appearance, from beneath the bridge, should be considered carefully when choosing this option.
• Advances in computer modelling and control of equipment for fabrication have enabled fabricators to cut
curved flanges from plate and thus provide 'true' curved beams. This overcomes the problem of varying
length cantilevers and provides a better appearance from below the bridge.
2.5.2 Skewed bridges
2.5.2.1 Multi-girder bridges
For skewed multi-girder bridges, intermediate bracing is almost always arranged square to the main girders.
At intermediate and end supports, bracing is usually arranged on the line of the skew supports
• For small skew angles (less than about 25◦);
• For large skew angles, bracing at intermediate supports is usually square to the main girders but bracing at
the ends is along the line of the supports. Typical bracing arrangements are shown in figure 2.14.
2.5.2.2 Ladder deck bridges
Skewed intermediate supports
A particular merit of the ladder deck steelwork system is that skewed intermediate supports can be readily
accommodated, as one end of a cross girder can be connected to the bearing stiffener over the support to one
girder whilst the other end can be connected to an intermediate stiffener within the span. With such an
arrangement the cross girders will not necessarily be at a regular spacing along the length of the deck, but will
be spaced as dictated by the geometry of the skew.
Skewed end supports
At skew end supports, trimmed cross girders, connected into an end trimmer girder, may be required, as shown
in figure 2.16. This arrangement is usually preferred to a 'fanned' arrangement of cross girders. To simplify
connection details, the connections at the obtuse corner for the end trimmer and the cross girder are
separated, although the consequences on slab design in this area must be considered carefully and
3Dmodelling may be needed in order to predict the local behavior with sufficient accuracy. This arrangement is
used even with integral abutments; the trimmer beam is then cast into the end-screen wall.