Changes in temperature induce movements in bridges. these movements must be accommodated by bearings or expansion joints, or large internal forces may occur within the structure. these forces may leadto damage and costly repair to the structure if the movements are not properly considered in the design. present methods for accommodating thermal movements in bridge design are discussed. experimental results and field observations of thermal movements are summarized, and case studies of bridges which have been damaged by thermal movements are described. a brief overview of recent theoretical research into thermal movements is provided. this leads to conclusions which help bridge engineers better understand thermal movement behavior andmay lead to improved performance of bridges under extreme temperatures. this paper appears in transportation research record no. 1290, third bridge engineering conference, march 10-13, 1991, denver, colorado, volume 1.
Abstract