Long-term deformation of segmented prestress bridges under harsh weather conditions: Case study of Exit 23 Interchange at Riyadh Ring Road

Long term deformations greatly influence the design of large span structures. Bridges are usually designed for extended service life reaching over 100 years. During such long periods, they are expected to perform with a certain acceptable level of movement. For segmented prestressed concrete bridges, the concrete creep and shrinkage values determine the level of bridge performance in terms of safety and serviceability. Unexpected bridge movements affect the performance of a bridge and may shed concerns regarding its safety. In this study, field measurements are used to assess the accuracy of the formulas used to predict movements at half bridge joints for an example case study: Exit 23 Interchange at Riyadh Ring Road. After 18 years of service, excessive deformations were observed. The considered case study was investigated in order to assess the reason behind the large horizontal shortening which caused problems for both the sliding bearing and the expansion joints. The measured values are meant to supplement the available database regarding the longitudinal movements of large span structures. In addition, the values of deflection and shortening at different cantilever tips are calculated and measured. The performed rehabilitation is also listed and discussed.