BridgeLink Professional

Tutorials
from BridgeSight Software

Modeling Touch Shoring

BridgeSight Inc.
P.O. Box 19172
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151
877-441-0346
www.BridgeSight.com
Title PGSuper Tutorial – Modeling Touch Shoring Publication No. BS02282011-2
Abstract
This document provides a discussion and step-by-step procedure for modeling precast-prestressed girder bridge
structures constructed with touch shoring.

Disclaimer
The information contained in this publication is believed to be accurate; however, it is being provided for
informational purposes only. Publication of this document by BridgeSight Inc. should not be construed as
BridgeSight Inc. engaging in or rendering engineering, legal or other professional services. Use of the information
contained in this publication should not be considered by the user as a substitute for the advice of a registered
professional engineer, attorney or other professional. If such advice is required, it should be sought through the
services of a registered professional engineer, licensed attorney or other professional.

Notes

Author Staff – BridgeSight Software Sponsor BridgeSight Inc

P.O. Box 19172
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151
Specification AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications
BridgeLink Professional 2.0 - PGSuper 3.0
Original Publication Date 3/13/2011 Date of Latest Revision 9/9/2017 Version 2.0
Notice of Copyright © 2017 BridgeSight Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
Copyright reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, or otherwise), without prior written
permission from BridgeSight Inc.
Introduction
This tutorial demonstrates how to model a touch shoring construction scenario with
PGSuper. Touch shoring supports precast girders during deck placement to reduce the
final stresses in the composite deck and girder system. In this construction scenario,
temporary shoring towers are erected before the girders are placed. After the girders are
placed, the shoring is adjusted to touch the bottom of each girder without introducing any
significant force into the system. Subsequent loads placed on the non-composite girder,
such as the deck slab, will be partially supported by the shoring effectively reducing the
girder’s span length. At temporary shoring locations, the additional dead load creates
negative moment. This reduces the positive bending moment stresses in the bare girder
from the subsequent loads applied to the completed structure.

The shoring is removed after the deck slab reaches a specified compressive strength. Any
force carried by the temporary shoring tower is then carried by the full span girder, which
is now a composite section. This method can reduce total stresses compared to when
touch shoring is not utilized.

Scenario
Our example is a fictitious design-build construction scenario where the builder has
realized a large cost savings by eliminating a bridge from a project. However, six girders
for the removed bridge have already been fabricated, and the cost savings would be even
greater if these girders can be used in a different bridge.

The six girders are AASHTO Type V with 32 straight and 8 harped strands. They were
constructed for a 130 ft span structure (127.33 ft between bearings). The design concrete
strengths are f’ci = 5.9 ksi and f’c = 6.6 ksi. The bridge where the builder would like to use
these girders is also 130 ft long, but slightly wider. The girders would be spaced at 8 ft
and the deck would have 4 ft overhangs. The girders were originally designed for a closer
spacing and thus might not have adequate capacity.

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Our job is to assess the girders and determine if they can be utilized in a different bridge.
The purpose of this tutorial is to describe modeling technique, so we will limit the
engineering evaluation to flexural requirements. Of course, a full evaluation must be
performed if this were an actual bridge project.

Creating the PGSuper Project

Create a PGSuper Project to evaluate the bridge. The fastest way to start a project with
AASHTO girders is to use the AASHTO Standard Girder templates published by the
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

Configure PGSuper for AASHTO Girders

This project uses AASHTO girders so begin by configuring PGSuper for AASHTO
standard girders.

1. Start BridgeLink
2. Select File > Configure BridgeLink… to activate the configuration wizard
3. The second step in the configuration wizard is the PGSuper configuration. Select
the WSDOT configuration server and the AASHTO Standard Girders from
PCI BDM configuration
4. Press [Next>] and proceed to through the wizard. Default configurations for the
other BridgeLink applications are acceptable
5. Press [Finish] to end the configuration wizard.

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Create a New PGSuper Project
1. Select File > New
2. Under PGSuper Project Templates, select I-Beams
I Beams and then the Type V template.
3. Press [OK] to create a new project

Describing the Bridge

The bridge in this example can be defined by changing just a few of the default
parameters.

1. Select Edit > Bridge

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2. On the General Tab input the girder spacing (8 ft)

3. On the Layout tab enter

e the station of Abutment 2 to define the overall bridge
length (1+30)

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 4. On the Deck Geometry and Materials tab,
ta enter the left and right deck offset
(24ft)

5. The default value for the remaining parameters are sufficient for this tutorial.
Press [OK].
6. In a normal situation, the next step would be to use PGSuper’s bridge model view
and girder view to confirm that the bridge’s geometry has been input correctly.
This is covered in other tutorials, so we will skip model validatation and define
the girder properties.

Describing the Girders

All of the girders used in the bridge are the same. Define
efine Girder A and then
t copy the
parameters to the remaining girders.

1. Select Edit > Girder then edit Span 1, Girder A

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2. Enter the concrete strength

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 3. Enter the strand configuration

4. The remaining parameters are not of significance for this tutorial. Check the Copy to
all girders
rders in this span box to copy thesee parameters to all other girders in Span 1.

Press [OK]

Evaluate the Girders for Conventional Construction

Evaluate a typical interior girder for a conventional construction sequence. This is
accomplished by creating a Spec Check Report for Girder B.

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 1. Select View > Reports > Spec Check Report
2. Select Span 1 and Girder B. Press [OK]

3. Reviewing
eviewing the analysis results, we see that the girder does not satisfy the service
level stress criteria.

NOTE: There are other specification

specification checks that do not pass. For purposes of this
tutorial we are only interested in flexure.

With a conventional construction sequence, these girders have adequate strength but
are not within acceptable service level stress limits. We will investigate shored
construction as a means of reducing the service level stresses.

Shored Construction
Let’s see if the
he final service level stresses can be reduced through the use of shored
construction. Shoring
horing towers cannot be explicitly modeled in PGSuper; however they can
be simulated with user defined loads
load applied during key construction events.
events Two events
are of interest:

• Event 4 : Cast Deck - During this event, the non-composite

composite girders are erected
into their final position and carry the deck slab load as simple
le span members
members.
• Event 5 : Final without Live Load - The he deck slab has reached its required
strength and is composite with the girders. Superimposed dead loads, such as the
railing system, are applied.

We model the addition of touch shoring towers by applyinging upward user

user-defined loads
equal to the shoring tower reactions in Event 4. Shoring
horing tower removal is then simulated

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by applying downward user defined loads that are equal and opposite of the reaction
loads in Event 5.

Assume the shoring towers located at the 1/3 and 2/3 points in the span.

Slab Loading
Start by using PGSuper to compute the deck slab dead load that will be carried, in part,
by the shoring towers.

Create a Details Report for Girder B, with just the Loading Details chapter.

1. Select View > Reports

eports > Details Report
2. Select Span 1, Girder B,, and deselect all chapters except for Loading Details

From the Details Report, the total slab load is 0.970 k/ft

Compute the Shoring Tower Reaction

When the shoring towers engage the bottom flange of the girder and the deck is cast, the
girder acts as a three span continuous beam.

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 w

RA=0.4wl RB=1.1wl RC=1.1wl

A B C RD=0.4wl D
l l l

The total span length,, between bearings, is 127.33ft.

127.33
42.44
3

ower reaction at B and C is 1.1

The shoring tower 1.1 0.970 42.44
44 45.3

Modeling the Shoring Tower

The effect of the towers is modeled with two upward point loads. The deck is cast in
Event 4 so the loading activity is assigned
assign to this event.

User defined load for shoring

s tower reaction
1. Select Loads > Add Point Load
2. Define the first shoring tower reaction load. Note that positive loads are in the
direction of gravity
gravity. Enter a load of -45.3 kips. The load is located at the 1/3 point
of the span length.

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 3. Repeat this process to define the shoring tower reaction load at the 2/3 point of
the span.

User defined load

oad for Shoring tower removal
The shoring towers are removed aafter
fter the deck cures and becomes composite with the
girder. Removal
emoval is modeled with two downward
d loads that are equal and opposite of the
upward loads applied in Event 4.
4 These loads are applied in Event 5.

The user defined loads can are listed in the Loads window. Select Edit > Loads.
Loads

Evaluate the Girders using Shored Construction

We will review the moment diagram to verify that the user defined loads that simulate the
shoring towers have the desired effect.

1. Select View > Graphs > Analysis Results

2. Select Girder B
3. Select Interval 10: Cast Deck
4. Select Moment
5. Hold the CTRL key and select
select “Slab”, “Haunch”, “User DC”, and “DC” loads
6. Select Incremental results

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The incremental DC moment diagram mimics that of a three span continuous span. The
DC moment is considerablyly less than the simple span “Slab” + “Haunch” moment
without the shoring towers.

Create a specification check report for Girder B using the same steps as described above.

Upon review of the service level stress checks, we see that the use of touch shoring has
reduced the final service level stresses to acceptable levels (NOTE:: Other specification
checks do not pass, this is ok since we are focusing on reducing flexural stresses in this
tutorial).

Further evaluation of exterior girders should be performed to ensure that they are also
adequate.

Conclusion
These
hese girders can be used in the new bridge structure. However, too keep the final service
level stresses within acceptable limits,
limits touch shoring must be utilized. The advanced
features available in PGSuper Professional make modeling these complex construction
constructi
scenarios quick and easy.

Customizing PGSuper Professional

PGSuper Professional has an advanced software architecture that allows third parties to
extend and enhance its capabilities. At BridgeSight Software, we can add new analysis
capabilities to meet your needs. For details, contact us at

BridgeSight Inc
P.O. Box 19172

12
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151
877-441-0346
[email protected]

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