Time-Dependent Prestress Loss Behavior of Girders in Missouri Bridge A7957 Compared with a U.S. Data Set of High-Performance Concrete Bridge Girders

In this study, six precast, prestressed concrete girders were constructed and instrumented to measure prestress losses of bridge A7957 in Missouri. The concrete mixture for the bridge was designed with varying mechanical and rheological properties. High-strength concrete, high-strength self-consolidating concrete, and normal-strength self-consolidating concrete were used to construct the bridge girders. Vibrating wire strain gauges with integrated thermistors were embedded through the girders' cross sections to measure strains and temperatures. The measured short- and long-term prestress losses were compared with those obtained using different empirical models, specified in the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications and in the PCI Design Handbook: Precast and Prestressed Concrete. This study also presents a comparison of measured prestress losses with data reported in the literature for different concrete types.