Prefabricated bridge with prestressed elements

Abstract

A prefabricated bridge beam with prestressed elements comprising a rectangular girder-box assembly which includes a bottom plate prestressed in compression and a pair of upstanding side members each having their upper portions prestressed in tension and a poured and cured bridge deck supported by the said side members where the cured deck secures in place the said tension and compression stresses. The bridge beam is constructed by supporting the girder-box centrally of its length so that its ends are cantilevered, pouring a hardenable and wearable deck material over a deck supporting surface extending the length of the girder-box and allowing the cantilevered load of the box-girder and the superimposed deck material to deform the beam into a bow shape with the center support of the beam located at the center of the bow, and then curing the material which forms the deck while the beam is deformed in a bow shape to lock in the tension and compression stresses which are created within the beam by its deformation.