4. Prestressed concrete bridges

4.1 The situation

• The method of building prestressed concrete bridges by pushing, directly inspired by the launching of steel bridges, consists in making a deck on one or both banks of the gap to be crossed, then placing it on its final supports by longitudinal displacement. This technique was only able to develop thanks to the development of temporary bearing plates, coated with Teflon or similar products, enabling low-friction sliding.

• It offers a number of advantages: construction of the deck "on the ground" allows for better organization of work, greater safety for construction personnel, and improved quality in both concreting and prestressing cable tensioning. By eliminating the need for any installation...