Cable Design for Continuous Prestressed Concrete Bridges


C. J. Burgoyne
Dept of Civil Engineering, Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, UK

The design of continuous prestressed concrete bridges gives the engineer considerable freedom when compared with the design of statically determine structures. By varying the secondary (or parasitic) moments, the relative magnitudes of the bending moments at mid-span and pier positions can be varied, thus allowing structures to be designed in which the line of thrust of the cable is outside the section, while the cable itself lies safely within the section.


The penalty to be paid for this freedom is greater complexity in design. It is necessary to determine the line of thrust of the actual cable that is used, or to choose a cable profile that is concordant. Either way, a knowledge and thorough understanding of the secondary moments in the structure are required.

Virtually all the standard texts on prestressed concrete design dwell on the problems associated with the calculation of the line of thrust and secondary moments associated with a given cable profile, but do not consider in detail the wider implications for the designer. However, one Author has considered other aspects of the problem. Low determined limits on the cable forces for the internal spans of a multi-span structure, based on considerations of potential crack patterns. 


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