This paper presents the results of a parametric study into the thermal loading of concrete bridges by solar radiation. All results were obtained using a computer model calibrated from field measurements. The model computes the loading parameters from the bridge characteristics and the standard daily records of the weather bureau. The design method given uses an effective thickness concept to find the effects of a wearing course on the temperature profile of the underlying bridge. Thermal loading depends on climate and is extremely variable. Histograms are presented, which show the frequency distributions of the loading parameters for sample bridges at three Australian sites covering a range of climatic regimes from tropical to temperate. Key words: bridges, concrete, loads, temperature, solar radiation, structural engineering, design chart.
