Bow-shaped segments in precast segmental bridges

Segmental bridges made of small precast elements have become a standard construction method for many highway and railway bridges in the world. Nevertheless some important aspects need further investigation. One is the unavoidable gap between two adjacent elements caused by the heat of hydration during segment production (‘bowing effect’). This imperfection may significantly influence the bearing capacity of the structure and its serviceability.A thermo-mechanical finite element model has been developed and verified by full-scale test data to study the match-casting process. Thereafter, two real segmental bridges with perfect and imperfect segments have been modelled. The various analyses showed that compressive stresses and the load bearing capacity of the structure as well as its serviceability may be highly influenced by the bowing effect.