State-of-the-art in design of curved box-girder bridges

The objective of this paper is to provide highlights of the most important references related to the development of current guide specifications for the design of straight and curved box-girder bridges. Subjects discussed in this review include (1) different box-girder bridge configurations; (2) construction issues; (3) deck design; (4) load distribution; (5) deflection and camber; (6) cross-bracing requirements; (7) end diaphragms; (8) thermal effects; (9) vibration characteristics; (10) impact factors; (11) seismic response; (12) ultimate load-carrying capacity; (13) buckling of individual components forming the box cross section; (14) fatigue; and (15) curvature limitations provided by the codes for treating a curved bridge as a straight one. The literature survey presented herein encompasses (1) the construction phase; (2) load distribution; (3) dynamic response; and (4) ultimate load response of box-girder bridges.