BRIDGE DESIGN SOFTWARE

[f8r]

I need to design a steel bridge with a Girder, Floor Beam, Stringer configuration, using LRFD design. Span lengths are 180' and 280' continuous. Are there any bridge design programs that are compatible with this type of structure?

 

[Qshake]

At one time AASHTO was working on a program that would design a bridge entirely, I think it was called BDS. I'm not sure what the status of that is.

However, most programs allow only for superstructure design and most incorporate LRFD into them. MDX is one and is online. PCSIMON is another and is available from AISC. These kinds of programs will assist you in designing the girders or stringers. The floorbeams you will have to design yourself. Most of the superstructure steel programs don't have the flexibility to add loads very easily for general situations. Of course, the floorbeam is very determinate and is a small task in comparison to the superstucture.

Other programs also do substructure design, for example LA-Pier by LEAP.

 

[JAE]

We purchased steel girder bridge design programs called STLBRIDGE and STLBRIDGE LRFD from an engineer friend of ours who developed it on his own. He markets it through a corporation called Bridgesoft, Inc.

http://www.bridgesoftinc.com

The author is a licensed professional engineer with a lot of design experience who wrote the program from a designers perspective. Very well developed and easy to use.

 

[f8r]

I appreciate the recommendations received. I am currently using MDX Software (which handles LRFD) or SIMON (which does not handle LRFD). Each of these programs are adequate for line girder analyses, and MDX also does multi-girder grid analysis. However, I am looking for a Bridge Design Program that will handle a Stringer, Floor Beam, Main Girder model (e.g.- a 90' wide bridge with 5 Main Girders at 20' O.C.; Floor Beams ar 28' O.C.; and a single wide flange Stringer midway between each Main Girder). As Qshake suggests, I can design the Main Girders and Stringers individually as line girders and then hand-calc the Floor Beams. I have done this for other projects. But for this Project, the client wants a grid analysis of the entire system. RISA-3D has been suggested; has anyone used this program for a similar situation?

 

[JAE]

We've used RISA a lot but not exactly for what you are anticipating. It can generate AASHTO moving wheel loads along a line of beams, or any custom moving load for that matter. It won't, however, use AASHTO design criteria but only uses AISC (ASD or LRFD). You could get section forces and design by hand.