Title: Thermal Stresses and Cracking of Concrete Bridges

Author(s): Mamdouh Elbadry and Amin Ghali

Publication: Journal Proceedings

Volume: 83

Issue: 6

Appears on pages(s): 1001-1009

Keywords: bridges (structures); cracking (fracturing); loads (forces); partial prestressing; precast concrete; prestressed concrete; segmental construction; structural analysis; temperature; tensile stress; thermal stresses.

DOI: 10.14359/2670

Date: 11/1/1986

Abstract:
Distribution of temperature over a bridge cross section is generally nonlinear and produces stresses in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Tensile stresses due to temperature can be high enough to produce cracking; when this occurs, further increase of stresses due to temperature is greatly alleviated. A viable design approach is to employ partial prestressing, allowing cracking to limit stresses due to temperature while providing sufficient nonprestressed steel to control cracking. The feasibility of this approach to bridges in general and to precast segmental bridges is discussed.