Introduction

• Load distribution in bridges under heavy - concentrated loads has

assumed significant importance with the evolution of different
cross sections of bridge decks
• The introduction of heavier concentrated necessitates for different
cross sectional shapes

Evolution
• single beam slab
• two beam slab
• multiple beam slab with diaphragms
• inter-connected beams and slabs
• single and multiple box shaped beams
• voided bridge deck slabs
• box girder decks
Introduction

Classification of bridges

• materials of construction
• form
• type of span
• usage

Loads on bridges
• imposed by vehicle
• by user
• by nature
Response Of Bridge Decks

Perfect understanding of response of slab and slab-girder bridges

is necessary for the improvement in performance of bridge decks

The bi-harmonic equation for isotropic slab behaviour

4w 4w  4 w P ( x, y )
2 2 2  4 
x 4
x y y D

Modifying the equation by suitably interpreting the different rigidities

4w 4w 4w
D x 4  2 B 2 2  D y 4  P ( x, y )
x x y y

Dx  E x t 3 /[12(1   x )]
2

D y  E y t 3 /[12 (1   y )]
2

B  0.5 * [ Dx y  D y x  4G xy t 3 / 12)]

Standards

 for guidance of the engineers to design the structure in order to have uniformity

IRC – formulated standards for design of highway bridges

(IRC:6, IRC:21, IRC:18, etc.)

RDSO – formulated standards for Railway bridges

(Bridge rules; Concrete bridge code, Substructure code etc.)
Types of loads to be supported by a bridge
• Self weight of its various components
• Live load and its dynamic magnification (Impact effect)
• Longitudinal forces on the structure due to braking or starting of
the vehicle
• Forces due to curvature (centrifugal forces of the moving vehicle)
• Temperature effect
• Wind pressure, both on the moving load and the structure
• Seismic forces (vertical and longitudinal)
• Forces caused due to the frictional resistance of bearings
• Forces on parapet
• Forces during erection
• Buoyancy
• Effect of velocity of water
• Snow load
• Impact due to floating bodies or vessels
• Vehicle collision load
Types of loads

DEAD LOAD

The dead load consists of self weight of the girder or member, weight
of any superstructure over it and any fixed loads supported by the
member

LIVE LOADS

• Wheeled
• Tracked
• Trains of vehicles
IRC-Class 70R Tracked Vehicle
IRC-Class 70R Wheeled Vehicle

Train Loads

Bogie Loading Wheel Spacing

IRC-Class AA Tracked Vehicle
IRC-Class AA Wheeled Vehicle

Minimum value of C
Carriage-way width C
 3.8 m (single-lane) 0.3 m
< 5.5 m (Multi-lane ) 0.6 m
 5.5 m (Multi-lane ) 1.2 m
IRC-Class A & Class B Loading

For Class A Train Vehicle

For Class B Train Vehicle

 Courbon Method of Load Distribution
The proportion of load carried by each girder
Rx = (W/n)[1+(I/dx2. I)dxe]

Rx = Reaction factor for the girder under consideration.

I = Moment of inertia of each longitudinal girder.
dx = Distance of the girder under consideration from the central axis
of the bridge.
W = Total concentrated live load.
n = Number of longitudinal girders
e = Eccentricity of live loads with respect to the axis of the bridge

• The ratio of span to width of the deck is greater than 2 but less than 4.
• The longitudinal girders are interconnected by at least 5 symmetrically spaced cross girders.
• The cross girders extend to a depth of at least 0.75 times the depth of the longitudinal girder.
Because of this, the cross girders become very rigid and torsional stiffness of the deck is also
reasonably high thus forcing the assumption of linearity of the reaction to be followed. It may
also be noted that no account is made for the orthotropic behaviour
Guyon-Massonet Method

• the deck is treated as orthotropic

• the contribution of a slab is not fully reflected, as rigidities of the
beams and cross girders are calculated using certain portions of
the slab integral with them
• superior to that of Courbon's, as a reasonable amount of shaping
of the load between the girders and cross beams is reflected
• the high amount of conservatism in the Courbon’s method has
been brought down

Morice and Little

• successfully applied the above theory for analysis of bridge deck
systems by bringing in a set of distribution coefficients for the
two extreme cases of no torsion and full torsion
• The method relates to the use of coefficients which are given in
the form of charts
Hendry-Jaegar method

• varied version of Guyon-Massonet method

• the cross beams can be replaced by a uniform continuous
transverse medium of equivalent stiffness
• the load distribution in an interconnected bridge system
depends upon three dimensionless parameters

A = (124)(L/h)3(n.EIr/EI)
F = (2/2n)(h/L)(CJ/EIr)
C= EI1/EI2