Warping Stresses in Curved Box Girder Bridges: Case Study

Abstract

This paper presents a detailed investigation of warping-related stresses in 18 composite steel-concrete box girder bridges. The bridge designs were adapted from blueprints of existing bridges in the state of Florida and encompass a wide range of parameters including horizontal curvature, cross-sectional properties, and number of spans. The bridges after which the analysis prototypes are modeled were designed by different firms and constructed at different times and are considered to be representative of current design practice. Forces are evaluated from analyses that account for the construction sequence and the effect of warping. Loading is considered following the 1998 AASHTO-LRFD provisions. Differences between stresses obtained taking warping into account and those calculated by ignoring warping are used to evaluate the effect of warping. Analysis results show that warping has little effect on both shear and normal stresses in all bridges. Current design provisions are discussed in light of the analysis results.