Design, construction and field testing of steel-free arch panel bridge deck for forestry bridges

Many forestry bridges in British Columbia are single-lane, single-span structures with two steel-plate girders and a deck of precast reinforced concrete panels, which are made composite with the girders by means of clusters of studs. The deck panels are provided with circular holes to accommodate the clusters of studs. The holes containing the studs and the gaps between the transverse edges of adjacent panels are filled with a quick-setting grout. The bridge can be opened to traffic within 24 hours after the erection of the steel-works. The concept of arching in deck slabs has led to an alternative to the reinforced concrete precast panels for such forestry bridges. Panels with a 150 mm thickness at the crown, spanning over girders at a spacing of 3.5 m were used for the Lindquist bridge on a gravel forestry road in British Columbia. The transverse confinement to the panels is provided by 25 x 50 mm studded steel straps at a spacing 1.0 m. It is interesting to note that economics and not durability motivated the development of the precast panels for forestry bridges. These panels require less material than the conventional reinforced concrete panels. The concept of cast-in-place and pre-cast steel-free deck slabs are protected through patents.