Bauhaus Summer School in

Forecast Engineering: Global Climate change and the challenge for built environment
17-29 August 2014, Weimar, Germany

PREFLEX girders: Prefabricated composite bridges

PAP, Zsuzsa Borbla
Budapest University of Technology and Economics

Abstract
The focus of this paper is the presentation of PREFLEX beam through the designing of the B398
underpass bridge at the Mak-Csandpalota/Nagylak section of the M43 motorway in Hungary. As well as
the comparison of this bridge type with the most commonly used pre-cast pre-stressed RC beam
superstructure by this bridge type.
The paper also presents the newest developments and an analytical calculation method of the PREFLEX
pre-stress girders. The pre-stressing girders are used usually at motorway projects. We show a handcalculating method via analysis a conventional motorway bridge, which is a traditional method based on
stress-super positioning and stiffness-changing.
Accordingly, two preliminary calculations are made: one with pre-cast, pre-stressed reinforced concrete
beam superstructure, and one with PREFLEX beam superstructure (Figure 1).

Figure 1: PREFLEX superstructure

PREFLEX bridges
The pre-stressed, pre-cast reinforced concrete beams were developed by an Austrian engineer Ewald
Hoyer in 1938. The PREFLEX technology was introduced early in the 1950s by Abraham Lipski and
Louis Bae in Brussels. Both types were invented during the period of post-war reconstruction. In the 60-s
two significant building was made with the help of PREFLEX beams, the Tour the Midi (Figure 2), which
is 138 m high, and the Berlaymount office building with 12 storeys.

Figure 2: The Tour the Midi in 1967, and nowadays

PAP, Zsuzsa Borbla / MVS 2014

While the Hoyer-beams were spread all over in Europe, the PREFLEX beams were gained ground mostly
in Far East. There are only few PREFLEX structures in Europe.
PREFLEX beam is a pre-cambered composite beam, made according to the following steps:
While I-shaped steel plate-girder is bent under preflexion loads (four-point-bending), high-strength
concrete is cast on its flange under tension. After the concrete hardens, usually three to seven days later,
the loads are removed and then compressive prestresses are introduced in the concrete casing of the tensile
flange as the beam regains a measure of its original shape. Then the whole structure is completed by
transporting the PREFLEX beam to the site and pouring top concrete in situ. We can see the main stages
of the construction in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Main steps of the construction

Stage 1 Fabrication of the campered steel girder (L/120). After this the beam is loaded with four-point
bending, and concrete is cast on its lower flange under this tension.
Stage 2 After the concrete hardens, the PREFLEX load is removed from the girder.

PAP, Zsuzsa Borbla / MVS 2014

Stage 3 The PREFLEX beam is transported to the site and pouring top concrete and cross girders in situ.
Stage 4 Other constructions (pavement, bars).
Stage 5 The bridge is ready for the traffic.
The PREFLEX bridges have many advantages, for example the concrete slab increases the bending
capacity and stiffness of the girder and under service load pre-compression stress in the concrete of the
lower flange is reduced, but not totally, thus no cracking occurs. The concrete of the lower flange
increases the flexural stiffness and reduces deflection. According to this the PREFLEX girders have a very
high moment capacity, they are suited to the construction of bridges carrying heavy loads, in particular
railway bridges. Due to these properties, prestressed girders are particularly suited to structures when the
available construction depth is highly restricted. The slenderness ratio value (ratio of the span divided by
the structural depth) may reach 45 for road bridges.

The development of PREFLEX bridges

In South-Korea the PREFLEX beams are very widespread. The following types were developed by
different Korean companies.

RPS Represtressed PREFLEX beam

The RPS beam is a double prestressed system; we can see the steps of the fabrication in Figure 4.

Figure 4: The fabrication steps of the RPS beam

PAP, Zsuzsa Borbla / MVS 2014

In this case the ratio of the height and length is about 1/25; the following table contains the exact
geometry.
Table 1. The geometry of RPS and PSI beam

length (m)
height (m)

30
1,3

35
1,4

40
1,6

45
1,9

50
2,1

The strength of the lower concrete flange is 48MPa (~C50/60), the strength of the upper concrete flange is
27 MPa (~C30/37), the structural steel is SM520 according to the Korean standard (~S355).

PSI PREFLEX-beam
The difference in this case that the beam gets the PREFLEX load in three points, and the middle load is
removed later than the other two, as we can see in Figure 5.

Figure 5: The PREFLEX loads of the ordinary (left) and PSI (right) PREFLEX beam

A-PREFLEX Advanced PREFLEX beam

This type is developed by the Sampyo Engineering & Construction Co.. The PREFLEX loads are replaced
to the one third of the beams, and two girders are prestressed in the same time (Figure 6).

Figure 6: The fabrication of the A-PREFLEX beam

PAP, Zsuzsa Borbla / MVS 2014

D-PREFLEX (Division-Retension) beam

The D-PREFLEX beam is the developed version of the RPF girder. The first difference is that the web of
the cambered steel girders is ribbed till the hardening of the concrete on the lower flange. Furthermore the
prestressing of the cables is made in two steps. With this the losses due to shrinkage, creep and relaxation
can be decreased.

Figure 7: The decreasing of the loss of prestress

vertical axis: loss (%), horizontal axis: time, green: creep, red: shrinkage, blue: relaxation

Flexstress beam
The Flexstress beam (Figure 8) is developed by the Belgian Ronveaux Company. Actually its almost the
same as the RPS beam, so there are prestressed cables in the lower concrete flange.

Figure 8: The cross section of the Flexstress beam

Design and calculation

In my diploma work the behaviour, advantages and disadvantages of the PREFLEX beam through an
approximate, analytical and a detailed static calculation can be followed. Furthermore the calculation of a
pre-cast, pre-stressed reinforced concrete bridge (FCI-90 beams) was also made to compare with the
PREFLEX superstructure. Here in this paper I briefly summarize my results.

PAP, Zsuzsa Borbla / MVS 2014

There is no Eurocode standard for the calculation of the PREFLEX superstructure; therefore I used an
American standard for the design:
US Army Corps of Engineers - Engineer Research and Development Center: Analysis and Load rating of
Pre-flex Composite Beams (ERDC/GSL TR-11-33)
According to this code in Stage 1 the maximum stress in the steel beam cannot exceed the 80% of the
characteristic strength of the steel (according to this we can calculate the magnitude of the preflexion
loads). In Stage 2 the maximum stress of the bottom concrete flange has to be smaller than the 40% of the
compressive strength of the concrete (because after 3-7 days the concrete is still hardening). In Stage 3
there cant be any tension in the bottom concrete flange, which means that the concrete cannot crack.
The concrete of the pre-cast, pre-stressed beam is C40/50. The bottom concrete flange of the PREFLEX
beam is C50/60, the top concrete is C35/45 and the steel is S355.
The B398 underpass bridge at the Mak-Csandpalota/Nagylak section of the M43 motorway is a three
span bridge, and each span is 24.05 m length. The width of the superstructure is 11.63 m, the height is 90
cm in both cases as we can see in Figure 9.

Figure 9: The cross section of the pre-cast, pre-stressed reinforced concrete and the PREFLEX beam

In case of the hand-calculating, analytic method, we have to sum the stresses after every stage, and we
have to make simplifications in the calculation of the creep and shrinkage. In the analytical solution when
we remove the preflexion loads, we have to put it on the girder in opposite direction, as we can see in
Figure 10 Stage 2.
Figure 10 shows the results of the hand-calculation.

PAP, Zsuzsa Borbla / MVS 2014

Figure 10: The stress results of hand-calculation

According to the approximate calculations 10 FCI beams are needed in one span in case of the pre-cast,
pre-stressed reinforced concrete bridge but only 5 PREFLEX beams are necessary.
The program called SOFiSTiK is used for the finite element calculation. This program is chosen because it
can handle the time-dependant properties of concrete (creep, shrinkage). It was especially important in this
case, because there are two concrete parts connected to the upper and lower flanges of the steel beam.
These two concrete parts are poured and hardened (take part in the load bearing) at different times. The
other advantage of the SOFiSTiK is that it can manage construction stages (CS), so the steps of the
manufacturing process that influences the further behaviour - could be accurately modelled. The
following figure shows the finite element beam model made in this program.

PAP, Zsuzsa Borbla / MVS 2014

Figure 11: The finite element model

Table 2 shows the construction stages (CS) which were made in SOFiSTiK.
Table 2. Construction stages

CS

Name of the stage

10

Steel beam

15

Prestressing

20
21
22
25

PREFLEX flange
PREFLEX flange active
PREFLEX flange-7 day
Unloading

26

g1 loads

30

Creeping till
transporting
Upper shear connection

31

g2 loads

40

In situ concrete

27

Time of the
stage (for the
calculation of
creep and
shrinkage)

7 days

28 days

Note

Simply supported, steel, I-girders.

PREFLEX loading: concentrated loads
on the first quarter and the third quarter
points.
Create the bottom concrete flange.
Activate the bottom concrete flange.
The bottom concrete flange is hardening.
Remove the PREFLEX loads.
Activate the g1 loads (the selfweight if
the steel and bottom concrete flange).
The bottom flange is still creeping.
Activate the upper shear connections.
Activate the g2 loads (upper concrete
slab).
Creating the in situ concrete parts (top

PAP, Zsuzsa Borbla / MVS 2014

41

In situ concrete active

50
55

Creep 3
g3 loads

60-69

Creep 4

30 days
(t=0)
3500 days
(t=)

slab, cross girder).

Activate the in situ concrete parts. The
bridge is a three span bridge, and the
beams are working together.
The concrete parts are creeping.
Activate the g3 loads (bar, pavement).
The concrete parts are creeping.

Figure 12 shows the cross section resulted by the detailed calculation. In this case the PREFLEX load is
864 kN (the maximum stress in the steel beam cannot exceed the 80% of the characteristic strength of the
steel under the preflexion loads), and only five beams are enough in each span.

Figure 12: Cross section of the PREFLEX beam

Summary
Table 3. The comparison of pre-cast, pre-stressed reinforced concrete and PREFLEX superstructure

Standard
Weight of one beam
Number of beams
Total weight
Deflection (quasi-permanent
combination)
Technology
Concrete

Pre-cast, pre-stressed reinforced

concrete bridge (FCI-90)
EC
725 kg/m
2x10
345t

PREFLEX bridge (height

90 cm)
- (American)
930 kg/m
2x5
221t

45mm

0mm

concrete, cables, prestressing

C40/50

steel, concrete, bending

C50/60

Table 3 contains the comparison of the pre-cast, pre-stressed reinforced concrete and the PREFLEX
bridge. One PREFLEX beam is heavier than an FCI-90 beam, but we need only half of them. This results
that the PREFLEX superstructure is much lighter, which is beneficial for the substructure.
In case of the PREFLEX system the deflection is very small, for example in this case I calculated the
precamber of the steel girder that the deflection in quasi-permanent combination would be 0 mm. So we
can see that this bridge type is very advantageous, if there is a limit in the deflection or when the available
construction depth is highly restricted.

PAP, Zsuzsa Borbla / MVS 2014

10

The disadvantage of the PREFLEX system, that there is no Europian standard for the calculation and the
technology is unfamiliar for the factories, manufacturers, but these problems can be easily fixed in the
future.

References
kos K., Nauzika K. (2012): PREFLEX girders: Prefabrication, erection and static, MAGSZ the
journal of the Hungarian Steel Association 2012 (3): 30-39.
http://www.iblenc.co.kr/sub-21.html
http://www.mansecorea.com/
http://PREFLEXbeam.co.kr/PREFLEX/a_principle.htm
http://www.rpfbeam.com/rpf_html/set_html/set1.html
http://www.sampyoenc.com/korean/index.asp
http://xn--9d0b5q.com/subPage.php?pgCode=4/5
Oliver S., Tina K. (2011). Die Straenbahnbrcke Messe Dresden - Brckenbau mit PREFLEXTrgern, Brckenbauwerke
Stphanie S., Guy R., Henri D., Bernard E. (2004). Innovative Composite Precast Prestressed
Precambered U-Shaped Concrete Deck for Belgiums High Speed Railway Trains, PCI Journal
Genock P., Ulises B., Jos A. (2011). Analysis and Load Rating of Pre-flex Composite Beams
(ERDC/GSL TR-11-33), US Army Corps of Engineers - Engineer Research and Development
Center
Zsuzsa P., kos K. (2013): PREFLEX girders: Prefabricated composite bridges, MAGSZ the journal
of the Hungarian Steel Association 2013 (4): 72-78.