Bridges

Highly skewed bridges are defined by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) as bridges whose decks have a skew of 45° or greater to the abutment. The structural behaviour of bridges with high skew angles are more complex than bridges with no or low skew angles. High skews can lead to additional stresses or displacements that may potentially affect a bridge’s performance, increase maintenance demand or shorten the asset operational life. TMR, in partnership with the National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO), undertook a project to consolidate current literature, Australian and international design codes, industry best practices and stakeholder learnings relevant to the design, construction and management of highly skewed bridges.

The project scope included a literature review, a review of TMR’s Bridge Information System (BIS) data, a desktop assessment of bridge inspection records, stakeholder consultation with road agencies and precasters, and site inspections of four highly skewed bridges.

The outcome of this research yielded recommendations and industry best practices which address the skew-specific considerations for bridges in the design, construction and maintenance phases. The project found that, when correctly managed, highly skewed bridges typically have an operational life comparable to that of bridges with low or no skew.