Precast Prestressed Concrete Economical Bridge Designs Using

Beams and Girders Normal Weight Concrete

Virginia PCBT’s set as simple spans, CIP deck
For Virginia Highway Bridges
Rodney T. Davis, PhD, PE • Span to beam depth h ratio of 18 to 21, with 20
Virginia Transportation Research Council being about optimal
• Beam spacing up to about 10 feet
• Beam Concrete 8000psi
• Beam web width 7 inches
• Equivalent of 0.8 ½”dia. strands per inch of
beam depth h
• Deck concrete 4000psi
• Continuity diaphragms and integral backwalls

Economical Bridge Designs Spliced Girder Superstructures

Virginia PCBT’s set as simple spans, CIP deck

• Use typical spliced girder construction for spans from

• Span to beam depth h ratio greater than 20 170 feet to 380 feet
• Beam spacing of about 10 feet maintained with • Try span to girder depth h ratios of 21 at the pier and 29
span to depth ratios up to 24 requires LW deck near midspan
• Beam Concrete 8000psi (normal weight unless • Girder concrete strength 8000psi
reduced superstructure weight is needed, • Use individual splices with moment capacity as
reduced modulus and reduced self-weight offset reinforced concrete section
in pretensioned beams) • Use conventional 4000psi CIP deck
• Lightweight deck concrete up to 5000psi and • Use 4 or more tendons, spread them out in web
down to 110 pcf • Need P/T duct specification similar to Florida DOT, but
we don’t need nor want the plastic duct
• Add beam lines only if necessary

Spliced Girder Superstructures

• Girder weight has important influence as span

length increases
• Modify section
• Reduce beam and deck densities
• Add girder lines
• Increase girder strength last option
• Pier segments use custom form
• No massive elements in girders

1
 Properties for Design Properties for Design
Tensile Strength Modulus of Elasticity
• Lightweight concretes are exhibiting about 7/8thof the • Modulus of elasticity of lightweight concrete is dependent
tensile strength of the equivalent normal weight concrete on the volume of lightweight aggregate, and the paste
• Slower cure results in higher tensile strength relative to the density
compressive strength • Modulus of elasticity of normal weight concrete is
dependent on the type of aggregate, and the paste density

Tensile Strength of Typical 8000psi Beam Concretes Modulus of Elasticity of Typical 8000psi Beam Concretes
Failure mode NWC LWC NWC LWC
Splitting Tensile 0.090 fc’ 0.080fc’ At Transfer 4200-5600 ksi 3100-3300 ksi
Beam Rupture 0.085 fc’ 0.075 fc’ In Service (VA) 5000-6500 ksi 3300-3500 ksi
Tension Field 0.060 fc’ 0.055 fc’ Dried at 50% RH 3100 ksi

Properties for Design Properties for Design

Creep Coefficient for P/S plus Self-weight Autogenous Shrinkage of Beam Concrete
• Beam concretes using slag (and presumably fly ash) show • Use of lightweight aggregates is known to reduce
a marked increase in early age creep as well as strength autogenous shrinkage and its associated stresses
when cured at lower temperatures (less than 135 degF) • This is a difficult strain to measure as it is occurring during
• Range of values in the table are for peak concrete the accelerated curing of the beams
temperatures during curing from 130 to 165 degF • Vertical cracking of beams during cooling and before
• Creep from prestess transfer and self-weight is complete in prestress transfer indicates that the beam has shortened
7 to 60 days depending on curing regiment during the curing process
• Reduces camber at transfer
Creep Coefficient for Typical 8000psi Beam Concretes
Autogenous Shrinkage Strain for Typical 8000psi Beam
Interval NWC LWC During Accelerated Cure
NWC LWC
Transfer to day 7 - 60 0.25 -1.2 0.25 - 1.2
Microstrain about 250 lower

Mix Design
Properties for Design Beam Concretes
Total Shrinkage of Beam Concrete
Typical 8000psi Beam Concrete Constituents
• Lightweight concrete exhibited more shrinkage than the
normal weight concrete after leaving the form NWC 120 PCF LWC
• Beams cured at lower temperature showed more shrinkage Portland Cement 450 pcy 480 pcy
after leaving the form than beams cured above 150 degF
Slag 300 pcy 320 pcy
Water 232 pcy 248 pcy
Total Shrinkage Strain for Typical 8000psi Beams w/cm ratio 0.31 0.31
NWC LWC Fine Aggregate 1050 pcy 1150 pcy
Microstrain about 350 about 350-450 Coarse Aggregate 2100 pcy 1050 pcy

2
 Upper and Lower Strut-and-Tie Models for Beam End Design
Problem Areas - Precast Sectional Analysis at h
h
Prestressed Beams and Girders
7h/8-1/2(3h/4) h/8

• Beam end cracking at transfer of prestress

e
• Thermal stress induced web cracking and cold
joints

h
• Creep and shrinkage, camber growth

e
7h/8-1/2(h/4)

Design Forces for Beam End Reinforcement

Using 0.5" dia. 270ksi Strand

Working Stress for Vertical Beam 28

End Reinforcement
27
26
25

in Kips)
24
PCBT-93
23
Within 3h/4 from Beam End
22

jack
21
Force in Vertical Beam End Reinforcement (% of P 20
19

• 22ksi for normal weight concrete in non- 18

17
16

aggressive environments 15
14
PCBT-29

13

• 19ksi for lightweight concrete 12

11
10
9 PCBT-93

• 16ksi for aggressive environments, 8

7
Within h/4 from Beam End
6
spliced girder segment ends 5
4
PCBT-29
3
2
1
0
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600
Nominal Jacking Force, Total of all Prestessing Strands (Pj ack in Kips)

Design Forces for Beam End Reinforcement

Using 0.6" dia. 270ksi Strand

28
27
26
25
24
Force in Vertical Beam End Reinforcement (% of Pjack in Kips)

23
22
21
20 Within 3h/4 from Beam End
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
PCBT-29
11
10
Within h/4 from Beam End
9
8
7
PCBT-93
6
5
4
3
2
1
PCBT-29
0
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2400

Nom inal Jacking Force, Total of all Prestessing Strands (Pjack in Kips)

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 Curing Method of Precast
Fabrication of Beams
Prestressed Beams
• Higher temperature, shorter duration • Casting should proceed quickly and continuously
– Lower final tensile and compressive strength • Upon initial set enclosure temperature should be
– Little creep and less shrinkage after prestress transfer ramped at a rate such that the form temperature does
not exceed the concrete temperature by more that a
– Improved production
few degrees
• Lower temperature, longer duration • Beam temperature should be kept constant until
– Higher final tensile and compressive strength transfer strength has been achieved
– More creep and shrinkage after prestress transfer • Strands should be cut as quickly as possible after
– Camber growth may be unacceptable for LW beams, steam has been stopped
and will not meet 50% camber growth spec • Best results have been achieved when ramp rate is
slower, and transfer strengths are above 6400psi

Rte. 33 over the Mattaponi River at West Point, Virginia