Composite Bridge Decking by Stage-Deck Jacking

Stage-deck-jacking consists of jacking a length of precast deck onto the steel girders. This liberates the casting bed which can then be used for a second length of deck. The formwork is placed either at one abutment in line with the bridge or at midlength. Sliding shoes placed at regular intervals reduce the friction between concrete slab and steel flanges. Steering of the deck is achieved by auxiliary transverse jacks equipped with rollers. Work schedules on the site generally follow a weekly cycle. Friction and jacking forces generate additional stresses and strains in the steel structure. The bending moments caused by uniformly distributed friction forces are indicated for a continuous beam with n spans. This construction method could be further improved. Some items for future development are mentioned.