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post-tensioned concrete
Safe release of stored
energy requires a reverse
sequence of the original
construction procedures
Construction details bankseats and piers, with two tem- foot(6) centers with a composite pre-
porary trestles supporting three seg- stressed deck slab 10 inches(7) thick.
An attractive design had been
ments in the main span. All seg- The two main cables, each con-
produced for ten 3-span overpasses.
ments were cast to suit a ve rt i c a l taining 19 high-strength strands of
With one exception, each had a cen-
curve of 7,000-foot(4) radius, but all 0.6-inch diameter(8) were winched
tral span of 121 feet(2) and end spans
straight grades and 3,000-foot(5) radii through the 4-inch-diameter(9) cor-
of 42 feet.(3) The main beams were
were accommodated by adjustment rugated ducts, which were designed
precast in five segments and erected
of the relative joint levels. to follow a continuously curved pro-
on their permanent bearings at the
A large range of deck widths was file. After connecting and sealing
* Numbers in parentheses refer to metric obtained in the various bridges by the cable ducts at the joints be-
equivalents listed with this article. using 3, 5, 6 or 8 beams at 6- to 7- tween segments, the gaps, nominal-
ly 4 inches,(10) were concreted at the
same time as the intermediate, pier
and end diaphragms.
Prestressing the cables was ac-
complished by pulling all 19 strands
simultaneously using double-end
stressing with identical prestressing
jacks of 500-ton (11) capacity. First-
stage prestressing consisted of ap-
plying a load of about 390 tons(12) to
the lower cables in each beam.
Cable extensions were checked at
each jack; for the standard length
bridge a total extension of about 14
to 15 inches(13) was recorded. The ap-
plied load caused the beams to lift
approximately 1 inch(14) at midspan
and made it possible to remove
t e m p o ra ry supports immediately.
The beams were fixed at one
bankseat and piers were hinged at
the base and pinned into the beams
so that the total elastic deformation
was allowed for at the sliding bear-
ings on the other bankseat.
Shortly after first-stage prestress-
ing, the deck slab was cast either in 3
bays or in a single operation, de-
pending on the width of the bridge.
The upper cables were subsequent-
ly stressed in a similar manner to
the lower group, but of course this
second stage of prestressing acted
upon the fully composite section.
The projecting lengths of high-
strength strands were trimmed back
close to the anchorage blocks, the
end recesses concreted and then
both cable ducts grouted with ordi-
nary portland cement, water and an
expanding agent to counteract
shrinkage.
The superstructure was complet-
ed by casting in place re i n f o rc e d
concrete string courses along the
edge of the parapet beams.