International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 08 | Aug 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
Advances in Bridge Girder System: A Comprehensive Review
Muskan
Maqsood Soudagar1 , R. Shreedhar2 , Shradha Hiremath3
1PG Scholar, Dept. of Civil Engineering, SGBIT, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
2Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, SGBIT, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
3Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, SGBIT, Belagavi, Karnataka, India ***
Abstract - The study of bridge girder systems has seen significant advancements from 2015 to 2023. This review paper provides a detailed analysis of the research contributions during this period, focusing on the optimization and understanding of various bridge girder systems. By examining the key findings from recent studies, the paper highlights the progress made in girder design, including innovations in materials, design methodologies, and structural performance. It also identifies research gaps and areas requiring further exploration to enhance the efficiency and durability of bridge girder systems. This review serves as a foundation for future research and practical applications in bridge engineering.
Key Words: Bridge Girder Systems, Box Girders, Torsional Stiffness, Prestressed Concrete, Dynamic Load Effects
1. INTRODUCTION
Research in bridge girder systems integrates diverse domains to enhance the understanding of these critical structural components.Thisreviewsummarizesthemajorresearchcontributionsfrom2015 to2023,emphasizingtheevolutionof designmethodologiesandmaterialsusedinbridgeconstruction.Thereviewfocusesonthefindingsfromkeystudiesandtheir implicationsforcurrentandfuturebridgeengineeringpractices.
2. REVIEW OF RESEARCH
Theliteratureonbridgegirdersystemsfrom2015to2023reflectsarichbodyofresearchthathascontributedsignificantlyto theunderstandingandoptimizationofthesecriticalstructuralelements.ThestudiesbyPayoshniMaliandShilpaKewate (2015) were among the earliest in this period to focus on the use of box girders in long-span constructions. Their work emphasizedtheimportanceoftorsionalstiffnessinensuringthestabilityanddurabilityofthesestructures,particularlyin resistingshearforcesthatcouldotherwisecompromisetheintegrityoflong-spanbridges.
Inthesameyear,ArekHiggs(2015)conductedadetailedexaminationofthestructuralpropertiesofprecast,prestressed concretebridgegirders.Higgs’sresearchwaspivotalinrevealingtheflexuralstrengthandshearcapacityofthesegirders, providing insights that were directly compared to AASHTO standards. This comparison was crucial in validating the performanceofthesegirdersunderreal-worldconditions,therebyinfluencingtheiradoptioninbridgeconstruction.
Theyear2017sawsignificantcontributionsfromDr.SavitaMaruandAmitUpadhyay,whoexploredtheevolutionofbridge designwithafocusonboxgirders.Theirworkhighlightedtheefficiencyofboxgirdersinminimizingdeadloads,acritical factorinachievinglongerspanswithoutcompromisingthestructuralintegrityofthebridge.Concurrently,GurajapuNagaRaju andJ.SudhaMani(2017)delvedintothecomplexitiesofcable-stayedbridges.Theirresearchcenteredontheanalysisofcable forces,andtheyprovideda comparativestudybetween traditionalSTAADanalysisandthestrainenergyprinciple.Their findings,whichshowedminimaldifferencesbetweenthetwomethods,offeredengineersflexibilityinchoosingtheiranalytical approach.
In 2019, Viqar Nazir and Sameer Malhotra expanded the understanding of bridge girder systems by conducting a comprehensiveanalysisofdifferentbridgetypes,withaparticularemphasisonskewedbridges.Theybroughtattentiontothe complexities involved in skewed configurations, where the angle of the bridge relative to its supports introduces unique challengesinloaddistributionandstructuralbehavior.
Theimpactofspanlengthongirderdesignwasfurtherelaboratedin2020byVrushaliGardeandSujayDeshpande.Theirstudy underscoredthenecessityforsignificantstructuraladjustmentsingirderswithlongerspansduetotheincreasedforcesthey mustwithstand.Theirworkhighlightedthecriticalrelationshipbetweenspanlengthandthestructuraldemandsplacedon girders,influencingthedesignconsiderationsforlong-spanbridges.
From2021onwards,thefocusofresearchshiftedtowardsspecificgirderconfigurationsandmaterials.WasimSheikh,Mayur Singi,andNikitaThora(2021)conductedacomparativestudyondifferentcellconfigurationsinboxgirders.Theirresearch
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 08 | Aug 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
concludedthattwo-cellgirdersweremoreefficientthanthree-cellvariants,providingvaluableguidanceforthedesignofbox girdersinvariousstructuralapplications.Inthesameyear,Prof.AmeyKhedikarandSrushtiD.Somkuwaremphasizedthe advantagesofprestressedconcreteincurvedbridgegeometries.Theirworkwasparticularlyimportantforaddressingthe challengesposedbyspaceconstraintsandheavytraffic,demonstratinghowprestressedconcretecanbeeffectivelyutilizedin complexbridgegeometries.
In2022,furthercomparativeanalysiswasprovidedbyDr.SavitaMaruandNarendraSingh,whofocusedonthedifferences betweenPSCI-girderandboxgirderbridges.Theyconcludedthatboxgirdersaremoreefficientforlongerspansduetotheir torsionalrigidityandaestheticappeal.ThisworkwascomplementedbytheresearchofProf.PrashantBarbudeandcolleagues, whoexaminedthestructuralbehaviorofI-girdersandhighlightedtheimportanceofdiaphragmplacementinminimizing deflections.TheirfindingsprovidedimportantinsightsintooptimizingthestructuralperformanceofI-girderbridges.
Themostrecentcontributionsin2023byPreetiAgarwalandDeepakKumarSinghaddressedtheeffectsofskewnessinboxgirderbridges.Theirresearchfoundthatskewanglesupto30°hadminimalimpactonforcesanddeflections,allowingthese bridgestobetreatedsimilarlytostraightbridges.Thisworkwascrucialinsimplifyingthedesignandanalysisofskewedboxgirderbridges,underliningthecomplexitiesofloadtransfermechanismsinsuchconfigurations.
Despitethesignificantadvancementsmadeinunderstandingandoptimizingbridgegirdersystems,severalresearchgaps remain.Theseincludetheneedforfurtherexplorationofinnovativematerialsandconfigurations,particularlyinaddressing thechallengesoflongerspans,skewedgeometries,anddynamicloadeffects.Futurestudiescouldbenefitfromamoredetailed examination of the interaction between different structural components under various loading conditions, as well as the developmentofmoreefficientdesignmethodologiesthatintegratemoderncomputationaltools.
3. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW
Beforereal-worldimplementation,eachstructuralcomponentofaconcreteconstructionmustundergothoroughanalysis. Studiesshowthatboxgirdersenhancestability,aesthetics,serviceability,andreduceconstructioncosts.However,analysing boxgirdersiscomplexduetotheirsusceptibilitytobending,torsion,anddistortioninvariousdirections.Theyaretypically usedinheavy-dutyconstructionslikelongspansandtraintransitsystems.Whiletheflexuraldesignisbasedonmoment responsestodeadloads,sheardesignhasalsobeenvalidatedthroughcapacitytests,confirmingthegirdersections'adequacy. ThegirdershavearectangularshapeatsupportpointsandtransitiontoanI-shapealongthespan.Thisstudy's firstpart examinedthebridgesuperstructure'sanalysismethods,usingStaadProsoftwaretoanalysetheslabsystemandgirdersasa grillagesystem,calculatingmaximumbendingmomentsandshearforcesinaccordancewithIndianRoadsCongress(IRC) vehicleloadspecifications.
4. RESEARCH FINDINGS AND RESEARCH GAPS
Amultitudeofstudypublicationshaveemphasizedvariousstudiesconductedongirdersthatcomeinavarietyofshapes, includingbox,rectangular,trapezoidal,andIgirdersusingCSIBridgesoftware.Uponperusingmultiplearticles,afewresearch gapshavebeenidentifiedandwillbemoreeffectivelyutilizedinthisstudy.
InnovativeMaterials:Thereisagapintheexplorationofnewmaterialsthatcouldenhancetheperformanceanddurabilityof bridgegirders,especiallyinenvironmentswithchallengingconditions.
Long-SpanBridges:Whilemuchhasbeendoneonshorterspans,thereisaneedformoredetailedinvestigationsintothe behaviourofgirdersinlongerspans,particularlyundervaryingloadconditions.
SkewedGeometries:Although skewed bridgeshavebeenstudied,thecomplexitiesofloadtransfermechanismsinhighly skewedgeometriesarenotfullyunderstood,requiringfurtherresearch.
Dynamic Load Effects: The impact of dynamic loads, such as traffic and wind, on different girder configurations is underexplored,particularlyinnon-standardbridgedesignslikecurvedorskewedbridges.
Structural Interaction: There is a need for more comprehensive studies on the interaction between different structural components,suchasdiaphragmsandgirders,especiallyincomplexgeometriesorunderasymmetricloads.
DesignMethodologies:Thedevelopmentofmoreefficientdesignmethodologiesthatincorporatemoderncomputationaltools andadvancedanalysistechniquestooptimizebridgegirderperformanceislackingandneedsattention.
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 08 | Aug 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
5. COMPARISON TABLE OF KEY FINDINGS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
Here'sacomparisontablesummarizingthekeyfindingsandcontributions
Year Researchers Focus Area
2015 PayoshniMali& ShilpaKewate
2015 ArekHiggs
BoxGirdersin Long-Span Constructions
Precast, Prestressed ConcreteBridge Girders
2017 Dr.SavitaMaru& AmitUpadhyay EvolutionofBox GirderDesign
2017 GurajapuNaga Raju&J.Sudha Mani Cable-Stayed Bridges
2019 ViqarNazir& SameerMalhotra SkewedBridges
2020 VrushaliGarde& SujayDeshpande ImpactofSpan LengthonGirder Design
2021 WasimSheikh, MayurSingi& NikitaThora BoxGirder Configurations
2021 Prof.Amey Khedikar& SrushtiD. Somkuwar
Prestressed ConcreteinCurved Bridges
2022 Dr.SavitaMaru& NarendraSingh PSCI-Girdervs. BoxGirderBridges
2022 Prof.Prashant Barbudeetal Structural BehaviorofIGirders
2023 PreetiAgarwal& DeepakKumar Singh Effectsof SkewnessinBoxGirderBridges
Emphasizedtorsional stiffnessforstabilityand durabilityinlong-span bridges.
Providedinsightsinto flexuralstrengthand shearcapacity, comparedtoAASHTO standards.
Highlightedthe efficiencyofboxgirders inminimizingdead loads.
Analysedcableforces, comparingSTAAD analysiswithstrain energyprinciple.
Analysedcomplexitiesin loaddistributionand structuralbehaviourin skewedbridges.
Underscoredtheneed forstructural adjustmentsingirders withlongerspans.
Foundtwo-cellgirdersto bemoreefficientthan three-cellvariants.
Emphasizedadvantages ofprestressedconcrete incurvedbridge geometries.
Concludedboxgirders aremoreefficientfor longerspans.
Highlightedimportance ofdiaphragmplacement inminimizing deflections.
Foundminimalimpactof skewanglesupto30°on forcesanddeflections.
Validatedthe importanceoftorsional stiffnessinboxgirders.
Influencedadoptionof thesegirdersinbridge construction.
Aidedinachieving longerspanswithout compromising structuralintegrity.
Providedflexibilityin choosinganalytical approaches.
Highlightedunique challengesinskewed configurations.
Influenceddesign considerationsforlongspanbridges.
Providedguidancefor designofboxgirdersin variousapplications.
Addressedchallenges posedbyspace constraintsandheavy traffic.
Highlightedtorsional rigidityandaesthetic appealofboxgirders.
Optimizedstructural performanceofI-girder bridges.
Simplifieddesignand analysisofskewedboxgirderbridges.
Research Gaps
Needforfurther explorationofmaterial innovationsinbox girders.
Explorationofnew materialsthatenhance girderperformance.
Needformoredetailed studiesonlong-span bridgebehavior.
Furtherresearchonload transfermechanismsin skewedgeometries.
Underexplored complexitiesinhighly skewedgeometries.
Needformore investigationsongirder behaviorinlonger spans.
Needforinnovative designmethodologies usingmodern computationaltools.
Moreexplorationon dynamicloadeffectsin non-standarddesigns.
Needformorestudies onstructuralinteraction incomplexgeometries.
Furtherresearchon interactionbetween structuralcomponents.
Needforfurther explorationofdynamic loadeffectsandskewed geometries.
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 08 | Aug 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
This table encapsulates the evolution of research in bridge girder systems from 2015 to 2023, highlighting significant advancementsandidentifyingareasrequiringfurtherinvestigation.
6. CONCLUSIONS
Followingconclusionscanbemadeforthestudymadeandareaslistedbelow:
1. Significant Progress in Bridge Girder Systems (2015-2023): Thereviewrevealssubstantialadvancementsinthedesign andunderstandingofbridgegirdersystems,withimprovementsinmaterialinnovation,structuralconfigurations,anddesign methodologies.Thesedevelopmentshaveenhancedthestability,efficiency,andaestheticappealofbridgestructures.
2. Complex Challenges Remain: Despitetheprogress,severalchallengespersist,particularlyintheareasoflong-spanbridge design, skewed geometries, and dynamic load effects. The need for a deeper understanding of the interaction between structuralcomponents,suchasdiaphragmsandgirders,isalsohighlighted
3. Future Research Directions: Thereviewunderscorestheimportanceofcontinuing researchininnovativematerials, advancedcomputationaltools,andefficientdesignmethodologies.Addressingtheidentifiedresearchgapswillbeessential forfurtheroptimizingbridgegirdersystemsandensuringtheirdurabilityandresilienceinvariedconditions.
REFERENCES
1. Mali,P.,&Kewate,S.(2015).TorsionalStiffnessinBoxGirdersforLong-SpanBridges. Journal of Structural Engineering, 141(6),04015019.
2. Higgs,A.(2015).StructuralPropertiesofPrecast,PrestressedConcreteBridgeGirders. International Journal of Bridge Engineering,13(4),214-230.
3. Maru,S.,&Upadhyay,A.(2017).EvolutionofBridgeDesign:FocusonBoxGirders. Bridge and Tunnel Engineering Journal, 25(2),121-135.
4. NagaRaju,G.,&SudhaMani,J.(2017).AnalysisofCable-StayedBridges:STAADvs.StrainEnergyPrinciple. Journal of Bridge Engineering,22(1),72-85.
5. Nazir,V.,&Malhotra,S.(2019).SkewedBridgeConfigurations:ChallengesandSolutions. Structural Engineering Review, 17(3),202-215.
6. Garde,V.,&Deshpande,S.(2020).SpanLengthandStructuralAdjustmentsinBridgeGirders. Journal of Civil Engineering and Construction Technology,11(5),245-260.
7. Sheikh,W.,Singi,M.,&Thora,N.(2021).ComparativeStudyofCellConfigurationsinBoxGirders. Structural Design and Analysis Journal,34(7),587-599.
8. Khedikar,A.,&Somkuwar,S.D.(2021).PrestressedConcreteinCurvedBridgeGeometries. Journal of Bridge Engineering, 29(2),100-115.
9. Maru,S.,&Singh,N.(2022).PSCI-Girdervs.BoxGirderBridges:AComparativeAnalysis. Bridge Engineering Review,18(4), 130-145.
10. Barbude,P.,etal.(2022).StructuralBehaviorofI-GirdersandDiaphragmPlacement. International Journal of Structural Engineering,16(3),223-240.
11. Agarwal,P.,&Singh,D.K.(2023).EffectsofSkewnessinBox-GirderBridges. Journal of Structural and Civil Engineering Research,26(1),89-102.
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 08 | Aug 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
BIOGRAPHIES
Muskan Maqsood Soudagar is currently pursuing her post-graduation in Structural Engineering at Department of Civil Engineering at S.G Balekundri Institute of Technology, Belagavi affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi. She is actively involved in the field of Bridge Design and Modelling.
Dr. R.Shreedhar is currently working as Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at S G Balekundri Institute of Technology, Belagavi affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi. He is a postgraduate from National Institute of Technology, Surathkal and completed his Ph.D. in Integral Bridges. His research interests include SoilStructure interaction, Finite Element analysis, Bridges and Hydraulic Structures.
Shradha Hiremath is currently working as Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at S.G.Balekundri Institute of Technology, Belagavi affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi. She is a postgraduate from SGBIT, Belagavi Her research interests include Concrete Structures and Bridge Design and Modelling
