Superior deck arch bridges curved in plan

A new arch bridge typology- ‘spatial arch bridges’- has appeared as a response to a social demand of bridges as city landmarks. They are defined as bridges in which, vertical deck loads produce bending moments and shear forces not contained in the arch plane, due to their geometrical and structural configuration. Moreover, the arch itself may not be contained in a plane.

This paper deals with the structural behaviour of spatial arches with superior deck. Their response under vertical loads and temperature increments is analysed and different geometrical configurations and boundary conditions at deck abutments are studied.