The development of composite bridges with corrugated steel webs in China

Abstract

The prestressed concrete girder with corrugated steel webs is one of the most promising steel–concrete hybrid structures applied to highway and railway bridges, owing to its excellent mechanical properties and efficient material utilisation. Composite bridges with corrugated steel webs (CBCSWs) have undergone rapid development in China since 2005, resulting in remarkable technical progress in many aspects. A state-of-the-art review of CBCSWs in China is presented. Based on data collected for over 90 CBCSWs built in China during the years 2005–2018, characteristics relating to bridge span, structural type and construction methods are comprehensively analysed. Some mechanical issues regarding the design and construction of typical CBCSWs are elaborated to understand fully their structural performance and promote their development. Furthermore, a few representative CBCSWs are expounded in relation to their innovative structural design and construction techniques; their respective characteristics are highlighted. Finally, several conclusions are drawn and future research directions are predicted: the CBCSW is a competitive bridge solution when 80–200 m main spans are required; advanced materials, innovative structure types and advanced construction methods making good use of corrugated steel web are the source of its development. The experiences in this study can serve as a useful base for constructing more excellent and impressive CBCSWs.

Fatigue Behaviors of Joints between Steel Girders with Corrugated Webs and Top RC Slabs under Transverse Bending Moments

“…Elkais et al [ 5 , 6 ] built a new equation to evaluate the ultimate shear strength of plate girders with CSWs based on numerical analysis and found that web thickness was the key factor affecting the shear capacity of the girders. In practice, composite beams with CSWs are prone to fatigue damage due to their complex constructional details under fatigue loads [ 7 ]. Li et al [ 8 ] found that the beams with CSWs showed excellent fatigue performance Zcompared to those with flat steel web, and stress concentration is prone to appear in the tension flange at the web-to-flange fillet weld toe [ 9 , 10 ].…”

Experimental investigation of steel-concrete composite push-out tests with embedded corrugated web

“…Since then, corrugated web girders were used in cable-stayed and extradosed bridges. Besides headed studs, perfobond-like and angled steel plates are often used as a shear connector, but in 1993, Hondani Bridge in Japan was built with embedded trapezoidal corrugated web, and cutouts with reinforcements were used for connection between steel and concrete (He et al, 2019).…”

Stochastic Reliability-Based Design Optimization Framework for the Steel Plate Girder with Corrugated Web Subjected to Corrosion

“…Corrosion especially affects thin-walled structures, where small pitting corrosion placed in a susceptible place, or a small reduction in thickness may cause serious loss of capacity. A fine example of such structures are those with sinusoidally corrugated webs currently applied in girders (also arched ones [ 20 ]) and also composite structures, where the deck is made of concrete and the web of constructional steel [ 21 ].…”