A new design for bridge joints using high strength bolts

For the purpose of reduction of construction cost, the minority steel plate girder bridges with large section main girder has been constructed in JH. In those bridges, the rationalization of field joints shall be required. The hybrid joints which are made welded flanges and bolted web, is considered one type of rational field joints. The loading experiments and FEM analysis using I-section girder, were carried out. As those research results, the performance of hybrid joints were cleared. With these results, the hybrid joints were applied in two expressway steel bridges.