Investigation of a hybrid bridge girder with reinforced concrete web and steel flanges

• Main Author: Van Leeuwen, Joost
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/4263

The subject of this research program was to investigate the behaviour of a unique hybrid bridge girder under various types of loading. The hybrid girder was made up of a reinforced concrete web with steel flange plates connected to the top and bottom using steel headed shear studs. This system is known under its commercial name as "COMPO-GIRDER.™" The research program was divided in two phases. In Phase I, 20 half-scale elements were tested under shear dominated loading in a special element tester (Adebar, 1991). The objective was to investigate the interaction of horizontal and vertical shear strengths. Numerous shear failure modes were observed during the tests. The measured shear strengths were compared with the predicted shear capacities using the design provisions in the CAN/CSA-S6-88 code and the draft CHBDC code. The comparisons indicated that the code design provisions were appropriate for both the horizontal and vertical shear design of the hybrid girder elements. One full-scale bridge specimen was tested in Phase II and consisted of a hybrid girder with concrete deck panels compositely attached to it. The simply supported bridge specimen was subjected to two equal point loads at the third points. The behaviour of the test specimen was studied under service loads and increasing load until failure. Many aspects of the bridge test specimen behaviour were investigated. Perhaps the most important one was the extent of cracking in the girder under service loads. Crack widths measured at the service load level were found to meet the CEB-FJP code limits for a "Moderate" environment and the BS 5400 limits for a "Severe" environment.