Design of Prestressed Girder Bridges Using High Performance Concrete - An Optimization Approach

The objective of this paper is to assess the potential economic benefits from the use of high performance concrete (HPC) for continuous precast, prestressed I-girder highway bridges. Unlike the traditional approach of trial and error, this approach uses mathematical optimization techniques to provide systematic procedures for obtaining optimal designs. The analytical results illustrate the cost effectiveness of HPC for bridge girders. Several practical advantages come from the use of HPC. Among the benefits is that because of increased girder capacity, the increased cost of HPC is fully offset by the reduced number of girders.