Flexural tests of steel-concrete-steel sandwiches

In order to reduce the weight of roadway slab on medium- and long-span composite bridges, a possible alternative in the form of a steel-concrete-steel sandwich has been appraised. This consists of a concrete core, precast or otherwise, to which is attached reinforcement in the form of flat steel plates by means of epoxy resin adhesive. Specimens of the order of 100 mm thick were tested statically over a span of 1·8 m, and carried loads equivalent to wheels of the HB vehicle with an adequate safety margin. Accepted design procedures gave reasonable prediction of the ultimate loads.