There is a growing need for durable and resilient
highway bridge construction/reconstruction strategies
that facilitate rapid completion of on-site
activities to minimize effects on the traveling public.
Prefabricated bridge elements can provide high-quality,
accelerated, and safe construction; however, prefabrication
of modular components necessitates an increased
reliance on the long-term performance of field-installed
connections. These connections have sometimes proved
lacking in terms of constructability, durability, and/or
structural response, resulting in decreased overall bridge
performance.
Prefabricated bridge girders, which are common and
reliable structural components, have been deployed
countless times in the highway infrastructure over the
past century. In their most common form, these superstructure
elements are connected to a cast-in-place
concrete deck through the use of discrete steel connectors
to develop composite action. Construction of such a
slab-on-stringer bridge structure is straightforward, but
it can be slow due to the need for field activities related
to the casting of the concrete deck. As a result, there is
an interest in using precast concrete deck elements or
decked girders to accelerate on-site construction while
simultaneously improving the quality of the bridge deck
concrete.