ABSTRACT
During the construction of bridges, both live and dead loads play a critical role in the safety of the construction and the future serviceability of the bridges. Loads from screed machine and the fresh concrete weight can cause deflection of the overhang and excessive exterior girders rotation. The bridge permanent diaphragms keep the girders stable during construction, and they can potentially reduce the rotation as long as they are spaced properly. The main purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the spacing between diaphragms on the rotation of the exterior girder. Finite Element models were developed using SAP2000 software to simulate bridges with different diaphragms spacing. The results show that reducing the distance between diaphragms by 40% can decrease the rotation of the exterior girders by more than 60%. It also shows that the location of the screed machine along the span is very crucial.
