Timber–concrete practical applications – bridge case study

Despite its advantages, the use of timber–concrete composite systems for road bridges is still relatively rare. There are a number of applications mostly located in Northern Europe, a good example being the Vihantasalmen bridge in Finland. In Portugal, composite timber–concrete systems have been successfully used on floors, especially in the rehabilitation and strengthening of old structures. This paper presents the application of composite timber–concrete systems in a road bridge in Portugal. The most significant difficulties and challenges found during the whole process are presented and discussed together with the alternative solutions considered in order to fulfil all the requirements (users, authorities, owner, code regulations). Finally, a detailed description of the post-construction phase is presented. The service behaviour of the bridge is assessed through regular inspections and a full-scale load test. The experiences and analysis presented in this paper suggest that the proposed solution may offer an advantageous alternative for many bridge constructions or reconstructions for a wide range of applications, from pedestrian paths to motorways subject to the highest traffic load levels.