A model-based study of a curved and skewed slab type bridge deck used in Makkah

Tight geometric requirements are often placed on highway structures due to right-of-way restrictions in congested urban areas. Skewed and/or horizontally curved bridges are among the some economical options for satisfying these demands. Increasingly strict and complex site constraints are leading to bridge projects with longer spans, more severe curvature and more complex geometries. These characteristics exacerbate the inherent three-dimensional (3D) response of curved and skewed bridge structures. As a result, the behavior of these types of bridges needs to be better understood. The model study can be utilized to understand the behavior and response of bridges. Such a study can also help in verifying the analytical results.;In this study, a scaled model of a skewed concrete slab type bridge deck was constructed in the laboratory. This slab model is simply supported on the same number of bearings as the prototype to get the same behavior; steel I-beams were used for this purpose. The Linear Variable Differential Transformer LVDTs sensors were placed at the bottom of the slab model to measure the deflection at several locations; also strain gages were installed at some key locations to record the strains. At critical bearing locations, load cells were used to record the reactions because of loading. At loading time, visual observation was made for the slab deck behavior and response.;Two types of loading were used in this research; the first type is the superimposed dead loads, which were produced by using bags of sand. The second type of loading is the trucks or vehicles loads which were also produced by using small wooden boxes and sand bags.;The behavior of the skewed slab has been studied and discussed by comparing the experimental results with the finite element to observe the accuracy of the theoretical predictions.