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Federal Highway Administration
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Washington, DC 20590
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Bridges & Structures

Comprehensive Design Example for Prestressed Concrete (PSC) Girder Superstructure Bridge With Commentary

US Customary Units

Report in PDF Format (1.7 mb)

    Cover Page
    Technical Report Documentation Page
1. Introduction
2. Example bridge
2.1 Bridge geometry and materials
2.2 Girder geometry and section properties
2.3 Effective flange width
3. Flowcharts
4. Design of Deck
5. Design of Superstructure
5.1 Live load distribution factors
5.2 Dead load calculations
5.3 Unfactored and factored load effects
5.4 Loss of prestress
5.5 Stress in prestressing strands
5.6 Design for flexure
5.6.1 Flexural stress at transfer
5.6.2 Final flexural stress under Service I limit state
5.6.3 Longitudinal steel at top of girder
5.6.4 Flexural resistance at the strength limit state in positive moment region
5.6.5 Continuity correction at intermediate support
5.6.6 Fatigue in prestressed steel
5.6.7 Camber
5.6.8 Optional live load deflection check
5.7 Design for shear
5.7.1 Critical section for shear near the end support
5.7.2 Shear analysis for a section in the positive moment region
5.7.3 Shear analysis for sections in the negative moment region
5.7.4 Factored bursting resistance
5.7.5 Confinement reinforcement
5.7.6 Force in the longitudinal reinforcement including the effect of the applied shear
6. Design of Bearings
7. Design of Substructure
7.1. Design of Integral Abutments
7.1.1 Gravity loads
7.1.2 Pile cap design
7.1.3 Piles
7.1.4 Backwall design
7.1.5 Wingwall design
7.1.6 Design of approach slab
7.1.7 Sleeper slab
7.2. Design of Intermediate Pier
7.2.1 Substructure loads and application
7.2.2 Pier cap design
7.2.3 Column design
7.2.4 Footing design
Appendix A - Comparisons of Computer Program Results (QConBridge and Opis)
Section A1 - QConBridge Input
Section A2 - QConBridge Output
Section A3 - Opis Input
Section A4 - Opis Output
Section A5 - Comparison Between the Hand Calculations and the Two Computer Programs
Section A6 - Flexural Resistance Sample Calculation from Opis to Compare with Hand Calculations
Appendix B - General Guidelines for Refined Analysis of Deck Slabs
Appendix C - Example of Creep and Shrinkage Calculations

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Updated: 06/27/2017
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000