Ultimate Load Test of a Segmentally Constructed Prestressed Concrete I-Beam

Test results of a segmentally constructed prestressed concrete bridge I-beam are presented. The test girder was manufactured from short precast segments which were joined together and post-tensioned, after which a deck slab was cast on the top. The girder, 92 feet long, was cast in eleven segments: nine segments of eight feet each and two end blocks of ten feet each. The assembled girder was then post-tensioned using two bonded tendons. The girder was made composite with a six-inch thick, six-foot wide, cast-in-place deck slab. The composite girder was then load tested, predominantly in flexure and its behavior, under working, cracking, and ultimate loads is reported. It is concluded that the performance of the segmentally constructed girder, under service as well as ultimate load, is comparable to that of a monolithic girder. /Author/