Transportable modular bridge

Abstract

A prefabricated, modular bridge is provided that can be assembled to construct bridges of various lengths, widths and skew angles relative to the orientation of foundation elements. The modular bridge includes longitudinal frame members, and a roadway surface made of roadway deck panels and transverse hubs. The transverse hubs define transverse ledges to support ends of the roadway deck panels. The transverse hubs have attached hub attachment clamps that move transversely relative to the transverse hubs to selectively disengage or engage the top flanges of the longitudinal frame members. An assembly for splicing the longitudinal frame members is provided, including an anchor bolt extending between bearing support members attached to the longitudinal frame members. An external reinforcing assembly for the modular bridge is also provided. The external reinforcing assembly includes longitudinal tendons, anchor blocks, and spacers and hangers for deviating the tendons from the bottom flange of the frame members.

1 . A modular system for forming a roadway surface of a bridge comprising a plurality of transversely spaced apart longitudinal frame members supported on foundation elements, the modular system comprising:
 (a) a plurality of roadway deck panels;   (b) a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart transverse hubs, wherein each of the transverse hubs defines a transverse ledge for supporting an end of one of the roadway deck panels; and   (c) a plurality of transversely spaced apart hub attachment clamps attached to each one of the transverse hubs, wherein each of the hub attachment clamps is adapted for clamping a top flange of one of the longitudinal frame members against the transverse hub, and wherein each of the hub attachment clamps is movable transversely relative to the transverse hub to selectively disengage or engage the top flange of one of the longitudinal frame members.   
     
     
         2 . The modular system of  claim 1  further comprising, for each hub attachment clamp, a threaded fastener for applying a force to the hub attachment clamp for clamping the top flange of the one of the longitudinal frame members against the transverse hub. 
     
     
         3 . The modular system of  claim 2 , wherein the transverse hub defines a slot, wherein the threaded fastener extends through the slot and is movable transversely within the slot. 
     
     
         4 . The modular system of  claim 2 , wherein the threaded fastener comprises a bolt comprising a bolt head, wherein the bolt head is accessible from above the transverse hub. 
     
     
         5 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the hub attachment clamps has an L-shaped cross-sectional shape comprising a vertical leg and a horizontal leg, wherein the top flange of the one of the longitudinal frame members is disposed between a bottom surface of the transverse hub and horizontal leg. 
     
     
         6 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the transverse hubs comprises a hub bottom flange plate defining the transverse ledge. 
     
     
         7 . The modular system of  6 , wherein each of the transverse hubs comprises a hub top flange cover plate removably attachable by cover plate threaded fasteners to the remainder of the transverse hub to clamp the end of one of the roadway deck panels between the hub bottom flange plate and the hub top flange cover plate. 
     
     
         8 . A module for use with a roadway deck panel to form a portion of a roadway surface of a bridge comprising a plurality of transversely spaced apart longitudinal frame members supported on foundation elements, the module comprising:
 (a) a transverse hub defining a transverse ledge for supporting an end of one of the roadway deck panels; and   (b) a plurality of transversely spaced apart hub attachment clamps attached to the transverse hub, wherein each of the hub attachment clamps is adapted for clamping a top flange of one of the longitudinal frame members against the transverse hub, and wherein each of the hub attachment clamps is movable transversely relative to the transverse hub to selectively disengage or engage the top flange of one of the longitudinal frame members.   
     
     
         9 . The module of  claim 8 , further comprising a threaded fastener for applying a force to the hub attachment clamp for clamping the top flange of the one of the longitudinal frame members against the transverse hub. 
     
     
         10 . The modular system of  claim 9 , wherein the transverse hub defines a slot, wherein the threaded fastener extends through the slot and is movable transversely within the slot. 
     
     
         11 . The modular system of  claim 9 , wherein the threaded fastener comprises a bolt comprising a bolt head, wherein the bolt head is accessible from above the transverse hub. 
     
     
         12 . The module of  claim 8 , wherein each of the hub attachment clamps has an L-shaped cross-sectional shape comprising a vertical leg and a horizontal leg, wherein the top flange of the one of the longitudinal frame members is disposed between a bottom surface of the transverse hub and horizontal leg. 
     
     
         13 . The module of  claim 8 , wherein the transverse hub comprises a hub bottom flange plate defining the transverse ledge. 
     
     
         14 . The module of  claim 13 , wherein the transverse hub comprises a hub top flange cover plate removably attachable by cover plate cover plate threaded fasteners to the remainder of the transverse hub to clamp the end of the roadway deck panel between the hub bottom flange plate and the hub top flange cover plate. 
     
     
         15 . A method for forming a roadway surface of a bridge comprising a plurality of transversely spaced apart longitudinal frame members supported on foundation elements, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) positioning a plurality of transverse hubs longitudinally spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal frame members, wherein each of the transverse hubs has a plurality of transversely spaced apart hub attachment clamps attached to the transverse hub;   (b) for each of the transverse hubs, moving the attached hub attachment clamps transversely relative to the transverse hub to engage a top flange of one of the longitudinal frame members;   (c) fixing the longitudinal positions of the transverse hubs along the frame members by using the hub attachment clamps to clamp the top flanges of the longitudinal frame members against the transverse hubs; and   (d) for each adjacent pair of the transverse hubs, placing a roadway deck panel between the transverse hubs, with the ends of the roadway deck panel supported by transverse ledges defined by the transverse hubs.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein step (c) comprises tensioning threaded fasteners to apply forces to the hub attachment clamps for clamping the top flanges of the longitudinal frame members against the transverse hubs. 
     
     
         17 . The method of any  claim 15 , wherein the transverse hub comprises a hub bottom flange plate defining the transverse ledge, and a hub top flange cover plate, and wherein the method comprises the further step of tensioning cover plate threaded fasteners passing through the hub top flange cover plate and into threaded apertures of the remainder of the transverse hub to clamp the end of the roadway deck panel between the hub bottom flange plate and the hub top flange cover plate. 
     
     
         18 . An assembly for splicing together a pair of longitudinal frame members of a bridge, the assembly comprising:
 (a) for each one of the longitudinal frame members, a bearing support attached to the one of the longitudinal frame members between a top flange and a bottom flange of the one of the longitudinal frame members, wherein the bearing support defines a bearing support aperture; and   (b) an anchor bolt extending through the bearing support aperture of each of the bearing supports, and a nut at each end of the anchor bolt for tensioning the anchor bolt and bearing against one of the bearing supports.   
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the bearing support comprises a weldment comprising a transverse bearing plate defining the bearing support aperture, and at least one longitudinal stiffener extending from the bearing plate. 
     
     
         20 . A modular bridge system comprising:
 (a) a longitudinal frame member to be supported by foundation elements, and comprising a top flange, a bottom flange, and a vertical web extending between the top flange and the bottom flange, and defining a framed opening; and   (b) an external tension reinforcing assembly comprising:
 (i) a pair of longitudinal tendons; and 
 (ii) an anchor block for anchoring the longitudinal tendons on opposite sides of the vertical web, wherein the anchor block is received in the framed opening, and bears against the vertical web. 
   
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled)