Considerations of the application of eurocodes 2 and 4 for concrete bridges

The application of certain parts of Eurocodes may result in surprising conclusions. Three independent examples of code requirements are presented. A first striking example is the fatigue compression resistance of RC or PC bridge girders and the prediction of the resulting lifetime, which may be excessively low. The second issue concerns the limiting value of slenderness of concrete arches, which shows no logical relation to the load bearing capacity. An alternative for the definition of slenderness is proposed. The third item is the necessity to consider an uplift force in the design of connectors, thus excluding virtually the use of block connections. In all three cases, alternatives are being proposed, needing further research or allowing a different approach to these issues. In addition, clarification of some code recommendations may overcome misunderstanding or erroneous application