Romanian projects and integral bridge solutions based on composite dowels

The design and construction of sustainable and durable bridges with low maintenance costs is one of the tasks of road and railway administrations of the European Countries. The structures must be safe, economical and need less maintenance during their service life. All these needs can be found in integral abutment bridges. This solution, which eliminates the bearings and expansion joints, leads to low construction and maintenance costs. Integral bridges also have good earthquake resistance. Bridges are vital structures in the transport infrastructure; it is a fact that, in the last decades, composite bridges have become a popular solution in many European countries as a cost-effective and aesthetic alternative to concrete bridges. Their competitiveness depends on several aspects, such as site conditions, local costs of materials and personnel and the contractor's experience. The main topics of this paper are: design of integral bridges, innovative composite dowels for shear transmission, construction of bridges in Romania, structural analysis of bridges and monitoring.