Hybrid steel plate girders subjected to patch loading

Hybrid girders represent an economical alternative to homogeneous girders because they achieve greater flexural capacity with less material. One of the potential applications of hybrid steel plate girders is their use in bridges. One potential method of construction for these bridges is the push launch method in which patch loading may affect the design. The aim of this paper is to present the advanced conclusions of research work dealing with these two fields simultaneously: hybrid steel plate girders subjected to the particular case of patch loading. It is shown that, contrary to the EN 1993-1-5 formulation, the influence of the fyf /fyw ratio (namely, the hybrid grade) is negligible for both unstiffened and longitudinally stiffened girders according to the EN 1993-1-5 assumptions. Suggestions for considering these findings in design codes are provided at the end of the paper.