Concrete Bridge Design and Construction. No. 11: Specialist concrete bridges

A new series from the Concrete Bridge Development Group (CBDG). This article demonstrates the benefits of using concrete.

This article examines the prestressing for a concrete bridge. Prestressing enhances the capacity of a member that is weak in tension, but strong in compression. It effectively creates a new material that is strong in tension. A prestressed bridge has much less steel to be handled, which reduces congestion, leading to easier and quicker concrete placing.

This article aims to provide the reader with a basic understanding of the hybrid test method, including its contextual development and potential as a dynamic testing technique.