Detailed Study of Bridges Out of Thin Walled Precast Concrete Elements

Due to the very competitive costs compared to in-situ concrete as well as to steel elements, the precise executions and the economic value, precast elements are able to not only reduce the construction period but also reduce construction costs. With these positive attributes in mind the Institute for Structural Engineering at the TU Wien decided to investigate the application of thin walled precast elements in bridge construction in order to compete with steel girders. The main goal of the research is the development of elements that are light enough to handle during transport and lift operations and at the same time stable enough to be filled with in-situ concrete resulting in a monolithic structure. To assess the durability of precast bridge girders fatigue tests were carried out. Furthermore a detailed study of the joints and the applied joint filling material was conducted resulting in a widespread comparison of various grouts.