Design of Continuous Prestressed Concrete Spliced Girder Bridges

Traditionally, prestressed concrete girder bridges are limited to 150 ft span lengths in Texas due to restrictions on handling and transportation. An effective way of increasing span lengths of precast, prestressed concrete girder bridges is demonstrated using splicing technique. In spliced girder bridges, precast girder segments are transported in shorter segments for handling and transportation and then spliced together to form long-span continuous bridges. Different methods are explored for construction of spliced girder bridges. Two application examples are developed to demonstrate the design of continuous prestressed concrete spliced girder bridges for both shored and partially shored methods of construction. A three-span bridge having a span configuration of 190-240-190 ft is considered for both examples. Advantages and dis-advantages of each method of construction are discussed. Construction issues that should be considered in the design are highlighted. The results of this study indicate that span lengths up to 240 ft are achievable using standard Tx70 girders with the help of splicing techniques. A parametric study is performed to further explore the design space of spliced girder bridges. The results of the parametric study, along with critical design issues that were identified, are highlighted and related recommendations are provided. The results of this study will be of significant interest to bridge engineers and researchers for guidance in implementing spliced girder bridges in Texas and other states.