Bridge girder with high central-wall-beam

1 . A bridge girder between two piers for transporting vehicles with a first and second wheel-path, comprising:

a central beam located at the median of the bridge, the central beam extending upward from the bridge deck to a height greater than the height of vehicles traveling on the bridge, the central beam having a width less than its height to define a tall, slender load-bearing element, the central beam being configured to suspend and support a majority of the weight and load of the bridge and to transfer the forces thereof to the piers;

a first road deck located on one side of the central beam, the first road deck including a first lane for a first direction of vehicle traffic, the first lane comprising a first runway located under a vehicle's first wheel-path and a second runway located under the vehicle's second wheel-path; and

an opening section extending between the first and second runways of the first lane and allowing air, rain, or snow to flow through the deck so as to reduce surface accumulation and aerodynamic uplift.

2 . The bridge girder of claim 1 , further comprising a first parapet disposed at a lateral end of the first road deck, the first parapet having a height less than the height of the central beam.

3 . The bridge girder of claim 2 , further comprising:

a plurality of girder segments assembled end-to-end to form the bridge girder;

a plurality of bridge girders arranged side-by-side to form a full girder bridge; and

at least one pier configured to support adjacent bridge girders at a shared location.

4 . The bridge girder of claim 1 , wherein the central beam is hollow and includes a transverse rib structure disposed within the hollow to resist twisting.

5 . The bridge girder of claim 1 , wherein the central beam includes cable holes that receive prestressed cables or reinforcing bars configured to support the central beam and the first road deck.

6 . The bridge girder of claim 2 , further comprising a purlin linking the central beam and the first parapet, the purlin extending across and connecting the first and second runways of the first lane.

7 . The bridge girder of claim 1 , further comprising a second road deck located on another side of the central beam, the second road deck including a second lane for traffic in an opposite direction, the second lane comprising a third runway located under a vehicle's first wheel-path and a fourth runway located under the vehicle's second wheel-path, and an opening section extending between the third and fourth runways of the first lane and allowing air, rain, or snow to flow through the deck so as to reduce surface accumulation and aerodynamic uplift.

8 . The bridge girder of claim 2 , further comprising a second parapet disposed at an opposite lateral end of the bridge.

9 . The bridge girder of claim 2 , further comprising a first autonomous-driving vehicle reference guide associated with the first runway and a second autonomous-driving vehicle reference guide associated with the second runway, the reference guides configured to maintain vehicle wheels within their respective wheel-paths.

10 . The bridge girder of claim 9 , further comprising at least one reference guide disposed adjacent to the central beam and/or the parapet, the reference guide being configured for detection by a device selected from the group consisting of:

a sensor configured to provide visual detection of traffic or bridge conditions or to measure parameters including distance, wind direction, wind velocity, vehicle speed, and bridge load;

a wireless communication module configured to transmit and receive signals relating to traffic conditions, weather, map data, and vehicle status; and

a traffic sign or traffic signal configured to provide regulatory indications for traffic flow.

11 . The bridge girder of claim 1 , wherein the runways are surfaced with a material selected from the group consisting of asphalt, concrete, metal, engineered plastic, and rubber, and wherein the runways further comprise a heating system powered by an energy source selected from the group consisting of electricity and natural gas, the heating system configured to melt snow or ice or to dry rainwater.

12 . The bridge girder of claim 6 , further comprising a pair of live rails disposed in each lane, the live rails mounted with fasteners and insulation and configured to supply electrical power to electric vehicles via collector shoes.

13 . The bridge girder of claim 1 , wherein the lane is configured for a mode of transportation selected from the group consisting of passenger buses, rubber-tyred trams, high-speed vehicles, low-speed vehicles, minivans, coaches, cars, sport-utility vehicles, freight trucks, cargo vans, and pickup trucks.

14 . The bridge girder of claim 10 , wherein the runways are configured to support an electrically powered vehicle having a dynamic axle system, the dynamic axle system extending or retracting wheels outward or inward via independent axles, and wherein the sensors are configured to measure distances between the vehicle and the central beam and parapets to provide input to the vehicle steering control system and to prevent the wheels from contacting the reference guides.

15 . The bridge girder of claim 1 , wherein a roadway beneath the bridge includes at least one two-way left-turn lane to facilitate ground-level traffic, and wherein natural light passes through the opening section of the deck.

16 . The bridge girder of claim 6 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the purlin is selected from the group consisting of a rectangle, I-shape, T-shape, triangle, trapezoid, and oval.

17 . The bridge girder of claim 1 , wherein the piers are formed of reinforced concrete with either solid or hollow fill, and wherein the cross-sectional shape of each pier column is selected from the group consisting of a rectangle, octagon, circle, and oval.

18 . A method of constructing a bridge girder between two piers for transporting vehicles with a first and second wheel-path, the method comprising:

installing a central beam at a median position of the bridge between the two piers, the central beam extending upward from a bridge deck to a height greater than the height of vehicles traveling on the bridge, the central beam having a width less than its height to define a tall, slender load-bearing element configured to suspend and support a majority of the bridge load and to transfer forces to the piers;

providing a first road deck on one side of the central beam, the first road deck including a first lane with a first runway located under a vehicle's first wheel-path and a second runway located under the vehicle's second wheel-path; and

building an opening section in the first road deck between the first and second runways, the opening section being configured to allow air, rain, or snow to pass through the deck to reduce surface accumulation and aerodynamic uplift.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

providing parapets at lateral ends of the bridge girder, the parapets having a height less than the central beam;

providing opening regions between paired runways of each lane, the opening regions being configured to allow air, rain, or snow to pass through the decks;

installing a thermal regulation subsystem within the runways of the decks, the subsystem being configured to supply heat to inhibit accumulation of snow or ice;

installing autonomous-vehicle guidance structures along at least one of the central beams or the decks, the guidance structures comprising physical indicators detectable by vehicle sensors for lane-keeping and navigation; and

installing an electrical power rail on or within the central beam and configured to transfer electrical energy to electric vehicles traveling on the runways.