Highways Agency Reports

This is the first of four reports on different aspects of the vertical shear resistance of composite bridge decks consisting of precast prestressed beams with additional concrete placed in-situ. A literature rview covers the main developments in the general design of reinforced and prestressed beams for shear with a more detailed account of work on composite sections. The shear provisions of a number of codes of practice are summarised, and two main alternatives approaches are identified for practicular study.