Precast/Prestressed Girder Help

Distribution of Loads

Topping Weight

The weight of the cast-in-place topping is calculated for the tributary width of each beam. For an interior beam, the tributary width is calculated as half of the distance to the CL of the beams on each side of the beam under consideration. For an exterior beam, the tributary width extends from the edge of the bridge to half of the distance to the next beam.

Note: The tributary width should not be confused with the effective width, which is the width of the slab used to calculate the composite section properties.

Tributary Width for Topping Weight