Analysis of encased steel beams with hollow cross-sections

Encased beams have been used as rigid reinforcement in deck bridges for several decades. Nowadays they are used mainly in railway reconstruction with limited building heights. During the entire period of their exploitation there have not been any changes or modifications in design or structural solution. Recently introduced Eurocodes allow for plastic design in the ultimate limit state. However, standard verifications of such structures indicate the inefficient use of traditional I-beams only. Therefore, deck bridge specimens with beams of alternative cross-section are designed and experimentally verified in the laboratories at the Civil Engineering Faculty of the Technical University in Kosice. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and review under responsibility of University of Zilina, FCE, Slovakia.