The type and arrangement of bearings for a bridge superstructure are important considerations in bridge design. For a curved continuous spread-box girder bridge, the support conditions for the bridge superstructure may significantly influence the distribution factors for maximum stresses, reactions, and shear forces as well as the bridge natural frequencies and mode shapes. Current design practices in North America recommend very few guidelines for bearing arrangements and types. This paper describes an extensive study carried out using an experimentally calibrated finite element model, in which curved continuous prototype bridges were analyzed to determine their structural response. Six different types and arrangements of support bearings were studied to determine their effect on the maximum stress and reaction distributions as well as on the natural frequencies of such bridges. The results were used to suggest the most favourable bearing arrangement and type.Key words: bridge bearings, composite, continuous, curved bridges, design, distribution factors, finite element, spread-box.
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