Experimental and Analytical Studies of a Horizontally Curved Steel I-Girder Bridge during Erection

A series of studies on an experimental, full-scale curved steel bridge structure during erection are discussed. The work was part of the Federal Highway Administration's curved steel bridge research project (CSBRP). The CSBRP is intended to improve the understanding of curved bridge behavior and to develop more rational design guidelines. The main purpose of the studies reported herein was to assess the capability of analytical tools for predicting response during erection. Nine erection studies, examining six different framing plans, are presented. The framing plans are not necessarily representative of curved bridge subassemblies as they would be erected in the field; however, they represent a variety of conditions that would test the robustness of analysis tools and assess the importance of erection sequence on initial stresses in a curved girder bridge. The simply supported, three I-girder system used for the tests is described and methods for reducing and examining the data are discussed. Comparisons between experimental and analytical results demonstrate that analysis tools can predict loads and deformations during construction. Comparison to the V-load method indicates that it predicts stresses in exterior girders well, but can underpredict them for interior girders.