Study of Horizontally Curved Slab-on-Steel I-Girder Bridges with Integral Abutments Under Thermal Loading

Integral abutment bridges have started to become part of the construction industry worldwide. However, they present challenges arising from the monolithic connection between bridge deck and the abutment. Thermal loading induced by daily cycles superimposed on seasonal cycles result in complex soil-structure interaction. Due to uncertainties in integral abutment bridge performance, there is no consensus among different codes on the bridge maximum length limit. A parametric study was carried out, using SAP2000 software, to examine the behavior of horizontal curved concrete slap-on-steel Igirders, under the effect of thermal loading conditions (±65°c). The self-weight of the bridge was considered. Spatial variables, including abutment height, radius of curvature, bridge span length, stiffness of backfill and types of foundation soil, were considered. The numerical analysis results were used to drive equation relating abutment height and bridge span with the maximum bridge length limit, which produces 40 mm horizontal displacement on pile head.