Computer aided design of prestressed concrete highway bridges

The paper presents a computer aided design system for prestressed concrete highway bridges which, starting from few geometrical data, provides the complete geometry, prestressing steel, reinforcing steel, amount of materials and cost of all the bridge elements: deck, bearings, piers, abutments and foundations. Different configurations are devised, from short and medium to long-span bridges, accounting for different deck super-structures and erection methods. All the results are displayed on the computer screen and can be printed. The system provides also DXF files containing the general layout, cross-sections and prestressing arrangement of box girder bridges. This system allows, in a short time, an accurate design and an economical estimation of a particular bridge, taking into account the most important technical requirements. It is a useful decision-making tool for both design and administration engineers.