Investigation of Failures of Three Precast Post-Tensioned Segmental Concrete (PSC) Box Girder Bridges During Construction.

Considering the fast pace of construction development, with a consistent increase in the volume of traffic, both road and rail traffic in developing countries like India, which are constrained by the limitation of land availability, especially in built-up or urban areas, lateral expansion in transport facilities has become increasingly challenging. Under such circumstances, vertical expansion through the construction of long flyovers or elevated structures is the most viable solution to meet traffic demand. Road and railway bridges are complex structures by nature with respect to their design and construction requirements based on a high level of knowledge, expertise and experience. Hence, some structural failures are taking place even during the construction stage of bridges owing to material quality issues as well as human error, to name but a few of the causes. This paper presents three case studies related to the investigation process and the primary cause(s) of the collapse of three different precast concrete post-tensioned segmental concrete (PSC) box girder bridges in India, with the corresponding lessons learnt and proposed recommendations. This paper covers issues relating to the investigation of the reasons leading to the failures of three precast concrete PSC box girders and a few suggestions for remedial measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]