BRIDGE QUANTITIES / REINFORCEMENT RATIOS

BRIDGE QUANTITIES / REINFORCEMENT RATIOS

Where detail drawings are not available and reinforcement quantities are required, for example
tender quantities for design and build type schemes, the following proportions can be used. The
values have been determined from a number of recent designs to BS 5400.

Fully integral bridge designs (no joints or bearings at the abutments) often result in higher
reinforcement requirements than articulated structures with bearings and joints; abutment walls
and the deck to abutment connection are areas most likely to be affected.

Semi integral designs (deck is continuous, but still supported on bearings) often result in
reinforcement ratios closer to that resulting from a fully articulated design.

Some judgment is needed in deciding what ratios to assign to each element. It is therefore
important that the proposed quantities should be verified by the Bridges Team Leader
responsible for the designs, prior to issue to external parties.

REINFORCEMENT RATIOS (for Highways Bridges)

ELEMENT REINF'T BAR DIAMETER COMMENTS
(Unless specified otherwise quantities RATIO PROPORTIONS
refer to both integral and non integral) tonnes/m
3
<16 >20

Piles & Pilecaps & Foundation Slabs
Bored Piles 0.15 17% 83%
Contiguous Bored Piles 0.15 17% 83%
Diaphragm Walls 0.15 17% 83%
Pile Cap 0.15 7% 93%
Foundation slabs 0.15 7% 93%
End Supports
Full Height Abutment (Non-integral) 0.15 7% 93%
Full Height Abutment (Integral) 0.30 Calculated range 0.26-0.33
Bankseat Abutments (Non-Integral) 0.15 7% 93%
Bankseat Abutments (Integral) 0.25 Calculated range 0.20-0.27
Skeletal Abutments (Non-integral) 0.15 33% 67%
Skeletal/Piled Abutments (Integral) 0.40 Calculated range 0.31-0.45
RC Retaining Walls 0.15 7% 93%
Intermediate Supports
Leaf Piers with impact (Non-integral) 0.15 7% 93%
Leaf Piers with impact (Integral) 0.35 800-1000mm thick, range 0.32-0.44
Columns with impact 0.35 1000-1300mm diameter
Columns without impact 0.20 17% 83% 1000-1300mm diameter
Crossheads 0.2 17% 83%
Superstructures

REINFORCEMENT RATIOS (for Highways Bridges)

ELEMENT REINF'T BAR DIAMETER COMMENTS
(Unless specified otherwise quantities RATIO PROPORTIONS
refer to both integral and non integral) tonnes/m
3
<16 >20

Precast Beams (Bars) Y Beams 0.1 99% 1% Rebar actually in PC beams
Precast Beams (Bars) YE Beams 0.1 99% 1% Rebar actually in PC beams
PC beam & slab decks (Non integral) 0.25 9% 91% M & Y beams
PC beam & slab decks (Integral) 0.55 M & Y beams full height abuts
PC beam & infill decks 0.25 9% 91% T & TY beams
Composite Steel Decks 0.35 9% 91%
Composite Steel Ladder Beam (Integral) 0.45 9% 91% Two girder ladder beam
Solid slab (Non Integral) 0.25
Solid slab - single span (Integral) 0.25 Portal with full height abutments
Solid slab - multiple span (Integral) 0.25 Bank seat abutments
Solid slab - multiple span (Integral) 0.35 Full height abutments
Voided deck slabs 0.32
Concrete footbridge decks 0.31 38% 62%
In-Situ RC Portal 0.2 33% 67%
Box Culverts
Precast Box Culverts (Main Line) 0.25 60% 40% Recent jobs perhaps 0.26-0.28
Precast Box Culverts (Farm Track) 0.25 80% 20% Recent jobs perhaps 0.26-0.28
Very Small Precast Box Culverts 0.25 100% 0% Recent jobs perhaps 0.26-0.28
In Situ Wingwalls 0.15 7% 93%
In Situ Box Culvert 0.25 33% 67% Increased from 0.20 Aug 2004
Sign Gantries
Steel Sign Gantries RC Bases 0.1 33% 67%


MATERIAL TYPES

(1) Reinforced Concrete: Generally Grade 40/20 except as follows:
Parapet edge beams Grade 40/20A
Columns and abutments adjacent carriageway Grade 40/20A

(2) All reinforcement to be Deformed Bar Grade 460.

POST-TENSIONED BRIDGES (for Highways)

Superstrand (1770N/mm
2
) 55Kg/m
3

Concrete Grade: 50/20
Reinforcement (HY 460) 220Kg/m
3


NB: Railway loading requirements are more onerous and increased quantities will be required.

STEEL QUANTITIES

Relying entirely on the charts published by BCSA for estimating steelwork tonnages can be misleading.
This is partly due to the size of the webs suggested by the charts, which tend towards being very thin,
thus requiring a significant amount of expensive stiffening. Fabricators prefer thicker webs, which
reduces stiffening and the cost of fabrication. Also the method does not allow a sufficient tonnage of
steel for bracings, stiffeners etc.

The following approach is proposed for estimating steelwork tonnages:

1. Estimate the tonnage of the main girders only, using the approach and charts in the British
Steel Publication, Composite Steel Highway Bridges. The web thicknesses obtained from
this process should be increased and the proposed thickness discussed and agreed with the
Fabricator/Contractor where possible.

2. Increase the weight obtained in 1. above to cover the weight of additional steelwork such as
bracing stiffeners etc, usually between 10% to 15% for normal highway bridges with individual
spans up to 50 metres. If UB cross girders are involved, these may have to be sized separately.

3. Check the weight of the main girders calculated above using a simple line beam analysis and
live load distribution factors from previous detailed designs. To simplify the calculations, a
plastic modulus approach is used with the design stresses limited to approximately 205N/mm
2

(compression) at supports and 270N/mm
2
(tension) at midspan for grade 355 steel. Top flange
at supports is taken as half the area of the bottom flange, and at midspan sized to match the
width of the flange at the supports and to comply with outstand limitations.

4. As an alternative to 3. use the weights from previous similar designs to corroborate the weight
calculated in 1. and 2.

5. It is also necessary to give some guidance on the position where sections change, often 15%
span.

6. For bridges with low headroom, extra bracing and thicker flanges may be required for impact,
this needs noting.