Smart questions
Smart answers
Smart people
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Member Login

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips now!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!

Join Eng-Tips
*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

LINK TO THIS FORUM!

Add Stickiness To Your Site By Linking To This Professionally Managed Technical Forum.
Just copy and paste the
code below into your site.

Partner With Us!

"Best Of Breed" Forums Add Stickiness To Your Site
Partner Button
(Download This Button Today!)

Feedback

"...It's fun to see others going through the same stuff I did and be able to help. It's also a way for me to stay sharp and not lose the stuff I've learned..."

Geography

Where in the world do Eng-Tips members come from?
BridgeEI (Structural)
20 Apr 12 22:37
Waiting on my flight so I can get home from the steel bridge symposium and I was thinking about some of the topics that were covered.  Has anyone in the US ever designed one or know any that exist in the states? I thought it was an interesting concept however I don't think aashto addresses them. The speaker made it sound like it was more prevalent in Europe with their code. I plan on doing some research on them once I get to a computer, I just thought it was a very interesting idea. I know it won't ever happen in my state but just wanted to know if anyone else has had any experience with them, good or bad.

By double composite I'm referring to box girders that have a composite topping and a composite slab poured inside the tub on the bottom flange in negative moment regions.
wiktor (Structural)
23 Apr 12 13:28
The concept is interesting and definitely doable.
In the US I do not think that such structure was designed or erected.
Although this concept will definitely reduce the steel usage by 10-15%, it will be also more labor intensive, which will reduce the savings.

The concept also have some disadvantages, as the concrete slabs casted directly on steel plates will need dedicated drainage to prevent water from ponding on the plates below. But with some details worked out it is an challenging design.
Helpful Member!  brucke (Structural)
30 Apr 12 10:19
The idea is indeed quite simple, but very effective. Basically one mainly uses the materials at their best: steel for traction, concrete for compression. It is also very useful to reduce local buckling on the compressed steel plate.

I've designed several bridges with this technique (outside US, mainly Europe). Regarding the extra labor, it is true, it requires some extra work: placement of a simple reinforcement and the pouring itself. As the steel box plays as formwork, the additional work usually is not an issue, since it is only a few hours.

Regarding the drainage, all the bridges I've designed with this technique were sealed (and tested) so, this was not an issue, either. If it is not sealed, I think it is possible to avoid the problem with an appropiate design of the steel box.

I hope it was useful.

regards



Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!

Close Box

Join Eng-Tips® Today!

Join your peers on the Internet's largest technical engineering professional community.
It's easy to join and it's free.

Here's Why Members Love Eng-Tips Forums:

Register now while it's still free!

Already a member? Close this window and log in.

Join Us             Close