Long-Term Behaviour of Segmental Bridges

This paper presents the long-term behaviour of bridges constructed by segmental cantilever construction due to the time-dependent effects of creep and shrinkage of concrete and relaxation of prestressing steel. Time-dependent effects of creep and shrinkage of concrete and relaxation of prestressing steel affect the deformation of post-tensioned segmental bridges at each stage of construction and service life. These effects have to be considered at every stage to ensure effective control of the girder profile. The analysis of typical segmental bridge has been done for evaluating the long-term deformation due to time-dependent effects. Numerical studies have been performed to show the effect of various parameters on the long-term deformation. The effect of construction schedule on the bridge profile is also presented. The variation of bending moment diagram with time after the completion of construction of the bridge has also been presented. External prestressing as a solution for controlling long-term deformations and stresses has been discussed.