Comparative Study of the Proportions, Form, and Efficiency of Concrete Arch Bridges

This article presents a comparative study of 55 concrete arch bridges built over the last century. For each bridge considered in the study, section properties and geometrical ratios were determined and compiled into a database. These data were used to identify empirical trends related to important attributes such as proportions, stiffness, slenderness, and efficiency. These trends were then expressed as functions of span length. The database and empirical trends together provide a unique and comprehensive quantitative characterization of the state of the art of concrete arch bridges. By situating new design concepts within the trends compiled by this study, designers of arch bridges can gain insight into the implications of specific design decisions with regard to structural behavior and efficiency and will have a quick and reliable means of estimating the nature and extent of the effort required for validation.