Short Span Highway Bridges with Wide Stringer Spacing and a Two-way Reinforced Concrete Deck

Abstract

Cconfronted with the large number of bridges to be constructed as part of the burgeoning highway program that is imposing an additional burden upon the already overburdened fiscal capacity of all levels of government, it is an appropriate time for bridge engineers to examine the factors underlying current bridge practice for the purpose of determining what, if any, alterations of this practice are in order. This determination necessarily requires an evaluation of the trends and possibilities in bridge design, fabrication and erection. The magnitude of the design problem presented is not great, and perhaps it is for this reason that little attention has been given to optimizing and aesthetically improving the design of short span highway bridges. However, the magnitude of the cost of all such bridges to be built in the United States suggests that efforts be directed toward improving their design.