Experimental Study on Application of Thermal Prestressing Method to Continuous Composite Girder Bridges

Abstract

At an intermediate support of continuous composite girder bridge, the compressive stress is generally introduced into the concrete-slab to improve the durability of bridge. The mainstream of introducing the compressive stress is jack-up-and-down method or PC-bar method. These methods can improve the serviceability limit state but cannot improve the ultimate limit state of bridge. The authors have studied thermal prestressing method to improve the durability of bridges. In this paper, firstly, the experiment of introducing compressive stress into two-span continuous steel girder model and two-span continuous composite girder model is predicated. Secondly, the stress variation in long-term behaviors is presented and the effect of the thermal prestressing method is discussed based on these experimental studies.