A Synthesis of Research on the Rollover Stability of Prestressed Concrete Girders Supported on Elastomeric Bearings

Abstract

Rollover stability is a critical concern for prestressed concrete bridge girders, particularly during handling, transportation, and erection when lateral restraint is limited. The growing use of long-span, slender sections has increased their susceptibility to rollover instability, especially under the combined influence of geometric imperfections, thermal gradients, eccentric loading, and inclination and deformation of bearing surfaces. Although these effects are well recognized in practice, current codes and design guidelines offer limited guidance, and many analytical and numerical models use simplifying assumptions that incompletely capture important nonlinear behaviors. Furthermore, experimental investigations remain scarce due to the complexity and cost of full-scale testing. This paper presents a comprehensive review of rollover stability of prestressed concrete bridge girders supported on elastomeric bearings. The theoretical foundations and governing mechanisms are first summarized, including a discussion of the effects of geometric imperfections, temperature variations, wind, support conditions, and bearing rotational stiffness. Existing analytical, numerical, and experimental studies are critically examined, and key knowledge gaps are identified to guide future research and code development.