• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.3A
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• pp.227-234
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• 2009

Recently, a knee brace is usually installed in connection between cross-beam and main-girder of steel box-girder bridges. The knee brace is installed as a structural stiffener and mainly aims to relieve stress at joints and to prevent main-girder from lateral deformation. However, research on the knee brace is insufficient to obviously evaluate the necessity. The stiffened effect of knee brace is determined by using finite element analyses. Stress distribution, stress level of members and deflection of the cross-beam are evaluated by parametric FE analysis for the installation of knee brace and the depth ratio of cross-beam/steel box girder. It is seen from comparison of numerical analysis results that the knee brace installed in cross-beam of steel boxgirders bridges is not efficient as a structural stiffener with respect to stress relief and stiffened effect.