Improving Cross‐Frame Design to Reduce the Effects of Skew in Steel I‐Girder Bridges

Skew of the supports in steel I-girder bridges cause undesirable torsional effects, increased cross-frame forces, and generally increase the difficulty of designing and constructing a bridge. The girders experience differential deflections due to the skew supports, and the undesirable effects arise when the girders are linked transversely. Before the placement of the deck, the main method of linking the girders transversely is through the use of cross-frames. The cross-frames are designed to provide stability during construction and distribute transverse loads through the bridge girders; this is their primary role. Cross-frames also help control differential displacement during deck placement and distribute vertical loads in the bridge's elastic and inelastic ranges. The cross-frames are not specifically designed for these tasks; these are the secondary role of the cross-frames. Alternative cross-frame designs, such as lean-on bracing, have been proposed to reduce the effects of skew due to the cross-frames. While having been shown to improve skew effects, the alternative cross-frame designs have not been evaluated on the effect they have on the cross-frames secondary roles.

• Record URL:
  http://www.utrc2.org/research/projects/improving-cross%E2%80%90frame-design

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $23663.00
• Contract Numbers:

  49198-21-27

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  University Transportation Centers Program
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  University Transportation Research Center

  City College of New York
  Marshak Hall, Suite 910, 160 Convent Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10031
• Project Managers:

  Thorson, Ellen

  Eickemeyer, Penny

• Performing Organizations:

  The College of New Jersey

  2000 Pennington Road
  Ewing, NJ  United States  08628-0718
• Principal Investigators:

  Bechtel, Andrew J.

• Start Date: 20150601
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20160831
• Source Data: RiP Project 39921

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bearing capacity; Bridge construction; Bridge decks; Bridge design; Girder bridges; Skewed structures
• Uncontrolled Terms: I-girders
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01567123
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: University Transportation Research Center
• Contract Numbers: 49198-21-27
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jun 25 2015 1:00AM