Prefabricated, prestressed bridge module

A method for making a prefabricated, prestressed module comprising the steps of:

• arranging one or more steel beams atop an inner supporting formwork element disposed between a pair of opposing outer supporting formwork elements and atop the pair of opposing outer supporting formwork elements in a direction transverse to the inner supporting formwork element and the pair of opposing outer supporting formwork elements;
• arranging at least three precast deck elements across and above the one or more steel beams to exert a compressive load on the one or more steel beams and to create a substantially continuous surface, wherein the at least three precast deck elements each have grout pockets for receiving connectors that protrude from the one or more steel beams, wherein the at least three precast deck elements include a secondary precast deck element disposed above the inner supporting formwork element, a primary precast deck element disposed above one of the pair of opposing outer supporting formwork elements, and a tertiary precast deck element disposed above another of the pair of the opposing outer supporting formwork elements;
• arranging the inner supporting formwork element and the pair of opposing outer supporting formwork elements so that the inner supporting formwork element has a greater height than the pair of opposing outer supporting formwork elements to allow the one or more steel beams to bend into a cambered shape, as a result of the compressive load, to impart compressive stresses to a bottom flange of the one or more steel beams and tension stresses to a top flange of the one or more steel beams;
• and
• inserting grout into the grout pockets of the at least three precast deck elements to hold the cambered shape and to bond the at least three precast deck elements to the connectors and the top flange, wherein the grout in the grout pockets maintains the one or more steel beams and the at least three precast deck elements in the cambered shape after the inner and the pair of opposing outer supporting formwork elements are removed.