Concrete/Steel Hybrid Decks
Concrete/steel hybrid decks consist of a combination of the open grid deck and the full depth precast deck panel systems. There are two common forms of this decking system: partially filled grid decks and Exodermic™ decks. The partially filled grid decks involve casting concrete for the lower section of the deck and including the open grid. Later, the rest of the deck will be poured on-site. The Exodermic™ decks involve the same process as the partially filled grid decks except that a majority of the concrete is placed above the steel grid. These systems act as composite members.
Concrete/steel hybrid deck panels are used as an alternative to cast-in-place concrete decks. They provide a driving surface for traffic.
To connect the separate panels to one another, bolted or welded connections are used. Since the deck is very similar to a full depth precast concrete depth, welded stud shear connectors are used to connect the deck panels to the steel framing.
With the partially filled grid decks, the deck can be placed without on-site formwork, which is a time-consuming process in bridge construction. With the Exodermic™ deck, the benefit of not having to prepare formwork is again prevalent. This case also has the benefit of the composite action in the deck increasing the efficiency of the system. (See Exodermic Decks and Steel Bridges by the D.S. Brown Company.)
Photo Credit: Faddis
What is a bridge deck?
The decking system of a bridge can be defined as the surface upon which the traversing traffic drives. This is the surface which is used as a continuation of the driving surface on either side of the bridge.
Commonly, cast-in-place concrete is used as the method of placing a deck on a short span bridge, but due to the time of preparing formwork, it can be a very time-consuming process.
Prefabricated deck systems are some of the most commonly used applications of modular bridge technology.
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Sandwich Plate System Deck
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Steel Orthotropic Decks
Orthotropic decks are composed of a steel plate that is covered by a shop-installed roadway surface.
Partial Depth Precast Concrete Deck Panels
Partial-depth concrete panels span between girders and act as stay-in-place forms for cast-in-place concrete.
Fiber Reinforced Polymer Decks
Open grid decks can be described as small-scale steel framing systems used as a bridge deck.