Growth of prestressed concrete bridges with corrugated steel webs in China

Prestressed concrete bridges with corrugated steel webs represent a relatively new type of composite structure. More than 40 such bridges have been built in China since 2005, ranging from simply supported spans to continuous girder bridges and long-span cable-stayed structures. Compared with conventional concrete box girders, they are cheaper to build, lighter and more efficiently prestressed – but to date there has been little use in the UK. This paper presents the historical background, structural characteristics and construction methods of corrugated steel web bridges. A new technology is proposed to enhance efficiency and safety during incrementally launched construction, and design technologies and future developmental trends are discussed.