The significance of warping torsion in the design of straight concrete box-girder bridges

Out-of-plane warping, resulting from torsional loading, is an important feature of box-girder bridges of thin-walled cross section. This may be of some consequence in girders where warping is restrained, since it may alter the level of stress both around the cross section and along the entire length of the beam. It is well known that some girders with very thin walls are not susceptible to warping, whereas others, with thicker walls, warp significantly when twisted. It is shown that the degree of warping is not governed by wall thickness alone; cross-sectional geometry, girder configuration, and loading must also be considered. The significance of these various factors in estimating the effects of warping restraint is assessed. In many cases this will permit the selection of box-girder cross sections at the conceptual design stage for which torsional warping effects are negligible. A simply supported concrete box girder is used as an example to demonstrate the importance of cross-sectional geometry, girder configuration, and loading in the assessment procedure. This is extended to the more general case of multi-span girders subjected to realistic patterns of loading. Key words: torsion, warping, box-girders, bridges, concrete, design.