Temperature and stress distributions in concrete box girder bridges

Temperature distributions in concrete bridges are nonlinear and induce self-equilibrated stress distributions. Such distributions depend on several variables (environmental conditions, physical and material properties, and location of bridge). On the other hand, temperature and stress distributions in concrete box girder bridges depend on the cross-section geometry. In this paper an analytical model to predict temperature and stress distributions is briefly presented. The results derived from the analytical model are compared with the experimental results obtained by other authors. In addition, several parametric studies needed to analyze the influence of the cross-section geometry on the thermal response and stress distributions in concrete box girder bridges are carried out. Some remarks related to the vertical and transverse temperature differences are presented. Finally, some considerations about the thermal response in concrete box girder bridges are identified.