Performance research on long-span RPC concrete continuous rigid frame bridge

Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) has lower shrinkage and creep under heat curing condition, and this paper studied the feasibility of the RPC application for long-span continuous rigid frame bridge. Taking the stress of the girder and the stiffness of the structure as control aims, one 200 m main-span continuous rigid frame bridge was designed. By comparing ordinary concrete continuous rigid frame bridge with RPC continuous rigid frame bridge, the impacts on static behavior, stability and seismic performance of different girder material were discussed. The results have indicated that, without the reduction of service performance, the dead weight of RPC girder was only 47% of ordinary concrete girder, and the geometry size of RPC girder section was decided by the stiffness of the structure instead of the strength of concrete. The structure with lower dead weight decreased the inertia load, which greatly improved the seismic performance of the total structure, especially that of the pier.