Integral bridge using the VFT-WIB technology for a three-spanned structure

Abstract

Alongside Romania’s main focus direction of the past years regarding the transportation system, the motorways, which are part of the Pan-European corridors, the entire road network has to be considered. This is the case of the local road which crosses over the Bistriţa River, in the village Frânceşti, via a provisory bridge, used as permanent solution. The bridge does not ensure the safety of its passengers, nor the required clearance. The conducted expertise concluded that the structure must be replaced. The new bridge to be built was chosen to be part of the European research project ECOBRIDGE [1]. It is an three-spanned integral bridge using the VFT-WIB^® technology for its superstructure. This technology referring to the German “Verbund-Fertigteil-Träger – Walzträger im Beton” or “prefabricated composite beam – filler beam” was introduced to the market in the last years. A key feature of the solution is the use of composite dowels for the steel-concrete connection. Important European research programs such as INTAB [2] or PRECOBEAM [3] have shown the use of such dowels is efficient and that VFT-WIB^® is suitable to be used in case of integral bridges, combing the advantages of both technologies.