COMPUTER-AIDED-DESIGN OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE HIGHWAY BRIDGES

The paper presents a computer aided design system for prestressed conc rete highway bridges which, starting from few geometrical data, provid es the complete geometry, prestressing steel, reinforcing steel, amoun t of materials and cost of all the bridge elements: deck, bearings, pi ers, abutments and foundations. Different configurations are devised, from short and medium to long-span bridges, accounting for different d eck super-structures and erection methods. All the results are display ed on the computer screen and can be printed. The system provides also DXF files containing the general layout, cross-sections and prestress ing arrangement of box girder bridges. This system allows, in a short time, an accurate design and an economical estimation of a particular bridge, taking into account the most important technical requirements. It is a useful decision-making tool for both design and administratio n engineers. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd