Composite concrete slab bridges formed from inverted, precast, pretensioned T-beams, pitioned with their bottom flanges almost touching and with in situ concrete around and above their webs and top flanges, have proved to be an economical and popular form of construction in the UK for spans up to about 18m. For design purposes, this form of
construction is assumed to behave as an orthotropic slab. To determine the actual response to high load, overall factors of safety and the suitability of analytical methods, two 1:3.5 scale models were tested and analysed. The results are of particular interest to structural engineers messing this form of Construction.
Professor R.J. Cope and M. Cope