Sustainable and economical spacing of steel girders in I girder bridges determined by parametric studies

In Hungary, most road bridges are precast prestressed concrete girder structures, popular in Central and Eastern Europe. Several manufacturers offer standard concrete girders, which accelerates both design and construction. In response to climate change and the need to reduce environmental impacts, low-maintenance, sustainable structures are becoming increasingly important. It is worth exploring alternatives to default bridge designs that are competitive in terms of both strength and economy, with environmental sustainability being a key consideration. The current study focuses on rolled steel I-girder bridges similar to prestressed concrete designs, using parametric modelling to determine optimal girder spacing based on span length. This helps in both design and the rapid estimation of environmental impacts for preliminary comparisons.