Field Test of a Large-Span Soil–Steel Bridge Stiffened by Concrete Rings during Backfilling

Abstract

In this article, a field test of a large-span soil–steel bridge is described. The case study involved a corrugated steel plate that was stiffened by concrete rings. The rings were applied to make it possible to use only one layer of steel plate while covering a span as long as 20 m. The test involved deflection and strain measurements of the steel plate under increasing layers of soil. The test results show that both maximum deflection and the maximum bending moment occurred at the crown when the soil reached the crown level. Conversely, the maximum axial force occurred at the bottom of the arch when the soil reached its maximum level above the arch. The test results were compared to the well-known design methods of soil steel bridges. According to the results, the design methods are conservative in predicting bending moments, but they are more realistic in predicting axial forces.