• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.345-354
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• 2010

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the structural performance of a large-span girder bridge with an under-tension system. Typical long-span structures with beam and girder members have greater structural member depths and sizes to carry the moment and deflection. An under-tension system can be an effective structural system, as it allows the cables to resist some portions of the vertical loadings and deflections. To evaluate the serviceability and ultimate strength of the under-tension system, two $10m{\times}2.4m$ experimental under-tension systems were built and tested. One was developed with an H-beam section, and the other was made with a PF500 section that had the advantages of fast construction and lower construction cost. In the test, the maximum deflections at the mid-point of both beams were effectively reduced using under-tension systems. Also, the increased tension forces in the cable reduced the deflections. The PF500 members, which had a new shape and were developed using the module systems, performed better than the typical H-beam sections in terms of the deflections and ultimate strength.