Possibilites for Structural Improvements in the Design of Concrete Bridges

This paper presents the concept and the current state of a research investigating possibilities for further evolutions in medium span concrete road bridges. The main parameters of the study are the structural shape, the type of materials used and their disposition. The study will provide an optimisation of the design of various systems of concrete bridges, with the perspective of introducing new advanced cementitious materials, such as ultra high performance fibre reinforced concrete, UHPFC. Feasible directions for improvement will be indicated by means of parametric analyses of the structural response.