Designing Simply Supported R.C. Bridge Decks Subjected to In-Plane Actions: Strut-and-Tie Model Approach

The evaluation of the effects of seismic action on the decks of multi-girder bridges is often neglected by practitioners because it is thought that seismic code prescriptions (i.e., deck elastic behavior and minimum reinforcement) in addition to ultimate limit state reinforcement dimensioning for permanent and variable load, do not justify more accurate analyses aimed at checking and/or optimizing reinforcement layout. With the aim of verifying the reliability of this kind of approach, this article proposes a step-bystep procedure, based on the Strut-and-TieModel, for the design of R.C. girder bridge decks subjected to in-plane seismic actions. As a first application, the proposed approach is used for a single span girder bridge deck. The influence on the model of geometry and supports of the bridge deck as well as the layout of girders and cross-beams is also investigated.