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roducing bridge seg- trol during segment production. A and achieve desired production
Striking Forms
Removing segment forms
begins after the concrete has
reached specified strength,
typically 2500 psi in compres-
sion. At this strength it is usu-
ally possible to ease off the
side forms, remove the core
form, and pull back the
match-cast segment (if the Figure 2. A high-quality finish of the top surface
top slab is self-supporting). is essential in superstructure segments where
The segment can also be it is also the riding surface.
moved on its pallet, but not
lifted. If the segment rein- Understanding basic segment
forcement cannot carry the weight casting techniques reduces costs
of the unsupported top slab at 2500 and delays associated with lack of
psi, transverse post-tensioning understanding of critical proce-
must be stressed in full or in part. dures and over-emphasis of non-
This requires a higher concrete critical items. Following these basic
strength, usually 4000 psi. Tradi- p ro c e d u res in the production of
tionally, quality-control cylinders bridge segments will increase qual-
have been broken to verify the con- ity assurance for the entire con-
crete strength for these intermedi- struction team.
ate operations.
Editors Note
Remove the forms carefully since
the concrete is more susceptible to The material for this article is excerpt-
ed from the Guide to the Construction
spalling and other damage at an of Segmental Bridges commissioned
early age. Most casting cell forms by the Florida Department of Trans-
are removable in whole pieces. De- portation to HDR Engineering Inc.
lay removing special blockout
forms for as long as possible to Alan J. Moreton, P.E., is vice presi-
avoid damaging blockout edges. dent and technical director for seg-
Striking and pulling back the mental and concrete cable-stayed
match-cast segment should be bridges with Parsons Brinckerh o ff ,
done with particular care. If the Tampa, Fla., and former state struc-
bond breaker has not been proper- t u res engineer with the Florida De-
ly applied, portions of either seg- p a rtment of Tr a nsportation, Of fice
ment can break off. Shear keys are of Construction.
especially vulnerable. The stripping H. Huber t Janssen, P.E., is pre s i-
crew also needs to examine and dent of Janssen Spaans Engineer-
understand the movement mecha- ing, a consulting engineering firm in
nism. Do not lift the newly cast Indianapolis specializing in bridge
segment by loosening jacks and design.
tilting the pallet. This motion can
easily damage the shear keys. The PUBLICATION # C950068
same rule applies when pulling the
new segment away from the bulk- Copyright 1995, The AberdeenGroup,
head. All rights reserved