Folded Plate Bridge: Steel Alternative for Short Span Bridges Maury Tayarani Accelerated Bridge Program MassDOT

Folded Plate Girder System is currently applicable to simple span bridges with lengths up to 60 ft.

Folded Plate Girders are fabricated using press breaks

The bend locations are very precisely determined

The fabrication process requires rotating the girder

1 3 2 4 Fabrication Steps are Minimal 1- Bending girders 2- End Plates 3- Minimal Tie Plates 4- Shear Studs 1 3 2 4

To Resolve Availability and Rapid Delivery 1- Plate thicknesses are limited to ½ or 3/8 inches 2- Total plate width is limited to 118 inches

Stable Shape During Casting Deck No need for internal cross frames No need for external cross frames

Design is conservatively based on girders being supported at two ends, when casting deck. The actual production is based on girder sitting on prestress bed and supported continuously.

Open bottom allows easy inspection

Experimental work Concept has been extensively tested

7,500,000 Cycles

Shear Test

Uxbridge Project – Boston Mass Opened to Traffic on Nov 2011

Folded bending – Kansas Galvanizing – Valmont, Kansas Casting deck- Carrara- Vermont Contractor – John Rocchio Design – Highway Bridge Services Independent design check- G.F. Owner – MassDOT Bridge instrumentation – University of Mass

Four Folded plate with partial Depth deck delivered to site

Edge girders will have the curbs cast

Anchor bolts are provided to bolt The railing onsite

Fabrication

Delivery of girders to precast Plan for casting sub-deck

Girder Delivery

Deck Forms

Steel Reinforcement

Casting Deck

Unit Ready for Delivery

Rigging for Lift

Placing Girder Unit

Placing Girder Unit

Girder Ends

From Below

Finished Structure

Finished Roadway

Dr. Atorod Azizinamini 402-770-6210 azizi@h-b-s.org