Structural System Design

Site Assessment and Requirements Gathering

Samal, Bataan is situated on the periphery of the Central Luzon Peninsula, with

Manila Bay to its east and the Bataan mainland to its west. In terms of severe weather, its

primary adversary is its proximity to the neighboring bay.

The San Juan Bridge, which spans the Samal River, connects parts of Barangay San

Juan to the rest of the region particularly the areas of Balanga and Orani. This river flows from

Manila Bay to the heart of Bataan Province. However, unlike other bridges in the vicinity, such

as the Samal Bridge and the San Kabila Bridge, the San Juan Bridge is outdated and

necessitates either rehabilitation or replacement.

From a geological perspective, Samal, Bataan is located 60.4 kilometers from the

nearest fault, the West Valley Fault. Additionally, it is several kilometers from Mount Natib, a

potentially active volcano that also supports the construction of the Bataan Nuclear Power

Plant (BNPP). Despite the completion of the power plant, it remains non-operational as of this

writing.

Given that the San Juan Bridge primarily supports local traffic, it does not experience

the severe congestion seen on the Samal Bridge, which serves as a major thoroughfare. The

issue of clearance height is minimal, as the bridge surface is only a few centimeters above

the road surface.

Load Analysis and Design Criteria

Based on the bridge design plans, the designers have calculated using advanced

analysis software and determined an ultimate service load of 5,400 kN. This value

encompasses the unfactored loads from all basic categories, including live load, dead load,

seismic load, and wind load. Utilizing this load, they have designed the foundation type and its

dimensions accordingly. Specifically, for the San Juan Bridge, the length of the bored piles is

approximately 30 meters. This depth is primarily due to the highly fractured sandstone

present in the area.

Highly fractured sandstone is characterized by significant physical stress resulting in

numerous cracks and fractures. This condition compromises the stability of the foundation,
necessitating an increase in the total length of the bored piles. The load-bearing capacity of

this type of soil is lower than that of other rocks because the fractures create planes of

weakness.

A service load of 5,400 kN, equivalent to approximately 1,213,920 pounds, is capable

of supporting almost any type of passenger vehicle. An average passenger car weighs about

3,300 pounds, while an 18-wheeler truck can weigh around 88,000 pounds. However, when

considering other dynamic load factors such as the impact of moving vehicles, braking forces,

and other dynamic effects, the overall capacity of the bridge may be compromised.

Additionally, for safety reasons, the actual maximum allowable load of the bridge is likely to

be lower than the service load. Consequently, the San Juan Bridge is designed to

accommodate a wide variety of vehicles, ranging from passenger cars to buses and semi-

trailers.

Conceptual Design

The conceptual design of a 25-meter-long bridge incorporates a prestressed girder

shaped like an hourglass, ensuring optimal load distribution and aesthetic appeal. The

hourglass shape is not only visually striking but also enhances structural efficiency by

concentrating material where it is most needed, thus reducing overall weight while

maintaining strength. This innovative design utilizes high-tensile materials and advanced

prestressing techniques to handle the anticipated loads, both dynamic and static, ensuring

longevity and minimal maintenance requirements. The use of prestressed concrete allows for

greater span lengths and slenderness, contributing to an elegant and modern bridge profile.

Supporting the superstructure, the foundation consists of circular bored piles

reinforced with 32 mm diameter steel bars. These bars are connected using single-v-groove

butt welds, which provide robust joints capable of withstanding significant stresses and

ensuring the integrity of the pile structure. The bored piles offer excellent resistance to both

vertical and lateral loads, ensuring stability in varied soil conditions. The connection details

and reinforcement design are meticulously planned to prevent issues such as cracking or

excessive settlement, thereby safeguarding the bridge's longevity and functionality.

The bridge features a clear sidewalk width of 450 mm, ensuring pedestrian safety and

accessibility. Complementing this, a parapet wall of 350 mm provides additional protection

and enhances the overall safety of the bridge users. This parapet wall, while modest in size,

plays a critical role in preventing accidents and ensuring that vehicles and pedestrians remain

safely on the bridge. Additionally, the design includes bursting steel dead-end anchorage to

handle the prestressing forces effectively, distributing them to prevent undue stress

concentrations. The combination of these elements results in a bridge that is not only

structurally sound and efficient but also user-friendly and safe, addressing both engineering

and community needs comprehensively.

Structural Material Selection

In selecting the structural materials for a 25-meter bridge, both grade 40 and grade

60 steel bars are employed as reinforcement due to their superior strength and ductility,

ensuring a robust and resilient structure. Structural concrete class A is utilized for its high

compressive strength and durability, making it suitable for the bridge's various components.

The use of sheet piles enhances the stability of the foundation during construction, providing

temporary support and preventing soil movement. The deck slab is waterproofed to protect

against moisture ingress, which is crucial for maintaining the integrity and longevity of the

bridge. The prestressed girder design incorporates 12 mm stirrups and main reinforcing bars

of varying diameters—16 mm, 12 mm, 20 mm, and 28 mm for dowels—ensuring adequate

support and resistance to tensile stresses.

The importance of using prestressed girders cannot be overstated, as they offer

significant advantages in terms of load-bearing capacity and material efficiency. By pre-

tensioning the steel reinforcement before casting the concrete, the girders can better handle

the stresses imposed by traffic and environmental conditions, leading to a longer-lasting and

more durable bridge structure. The concrete pile foundation, reinforced with steel bars,

provides a solid and stable base for the bridge, ensuring it can support the imposed loads

without excessive settlement or movement. Concrete railings are selected for their cost-

effectiveness and ease of maintenance compared to other materials, such as metal or wood,

which may require more frequent upkeep and replacement.

Given the bridge's relatively short span of 25 meters, a single-span design with two

piles and piers is the most efficient and economical solution. This configuration minimizes the

need for intermediate supports, reducing construction complexity and costs. The choice of
prestressed girders, concrete pile foundations, and concrete railings not only provides a

durable and stable structure but also offers significant cost savings over alternative materials.

By optimizing material selection and structural design, the bridge ensures safety, functionality,

and economic efficiency, meeting the needs of both the project and the community it serves.

Superstructure Design

The superstructure design of the bridge utilizes Class A concrete for critical

components such as cast-in-place girders, slabs, diaphragms, wingwalls, backwalls, copings,

columns, and bored piles, providing the necessary strength and durability for these load-

bearing elements. Class C concrete is used for thinner reinforced sections like railings and rail

posts, striking a balance between strength and material efficiency. The design of the girders

involves longitudinally draped tendons positioned in a parabolic shape, optimizing stress

distribution. These tendons are placed with their center of gravity aligned as shown in the

plans, achieving accurate force application and structural performance.

The prestressing process accounts for various losses including plastic shortening,

shrinkage, friction, and efficiency of end anchorage, applying adequate tensile forces to

maintain necessary stress levels throughout the bridge’s life. Tendons are pressure grouted in

their conduits to enhance durability and prevent corrosion. The specified strength of the

girders is a minimum of 5000 psi at 28 days, and the cast-in-place concrete slab is designed

to reach 4000 psi at 28 days, meeting the structural requirements for supporting imposed

loads.

Handling procedures for prestressed concrete beams include maintaining an upright

position and lifting with suitable devices to prevent damage. Contractors must submit

approval documents detailing the calculated elongation of the prestressing tendons to match

the required jacking forces. The camber diagram specifies jacking forces of 1340.6 with 11

wires for cables 1, 2, and 3, achieving uniform stress distribution across the girders. The

girder anchorage system includes a recess, anchor head, bearing plate casting, and trumpet,

facilitating secure transfer of prestressing forces, while lifting hooks with 4 strands support

safe handling during construction.

The deck design incorporates various reinforcement bars: 90-16mm top bars, 500-

16mm truss bars, and 90-16mm bottom bars, providing necessary support and maintaining
structural continuity. The concrete pouring sequence starts with the abutment areas, laid at

least one day ahead of the rest to achieve optimal strength and bonding, with continuous

reinforcement at construction joints. The spacing of the four girders is set at 2.25 meters,

ensuring effective load distribution, while a roadway slope of 1.5 percent facilitates proper

drainage and prevents water accumulation.

Welded steel connections enhance joint reliability, contributing to the bridge's

structural integrity. This detailed approach to superstructure design, with specific material

selections, construction procedures, and structural calculations, results in a durable and

efficient bridge that meets engineering standards and addresses practical needs.

Foundation Design

The substructure design of the bridge employs a pier and pile foundation system,

chosen due to the specific geotechnical conditions of the site. The soil characteristics

necessitate the use of piles, each extending to a length of 30 meters with splicing zones at

one-third intervals for reinforcement. This foundation system is designed to support an

ultimate load of 5,400 kN, addressing the structural demands of the bridge under maximum

expected loads.

Foundation selection was carefully aligned with the bridge's load requirements. The

piles feature a detailed reinforcement scheme to handle substantial loads. Main reinforcement

includes 48 bars of 32 mm diameter, complemented by 16 mm diameter spirals, and 25 mm

diameter horizontal reinforcement bars spaced every 2 meters. These components are cast

within a permanent circular casing to distribute the load effectively. The reinforcement details,

including spacer and welded connections, are designed to withstand axial and lateral forces.

Without specific soil bearing capacity data, the design adopted a conservative

allowable pile bearing capacity of 500 kN per pile. A minimum hammer energy rating of 55

kN-m for pile driving was specified to achieve the necessary depth and bearing capacity. This

rating dictates the force during pile driving, ensuring each pile reaches the required depth and

compaction, thus providing a stable foundation for the bridge. This thorough approach to

foundation design supports the anticipated loads throughout the bridge's lifespan.