• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.855-874
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• 2016

In this paper, it is aimed to evaluate the earthquake angle influence on the seismic performance of steel highway bridges. Upper-deck steel highway bridge, which has arch type load bearing system with a total length of 216 m, has been selected as an application and analyzed using finite element methods. The bridge is subjected to 1992 Erzincan earthquake ground motion components in nineteen directions whose values range between 0 to 90 degrees, with an increment of 5 degrees. The seismic weight is calculated using full dead load plus 30% of live load. The variation of maximum displacements in each directions and internal forces such as axial forces, shear forces and bending moments for bridge arch and deck are attained to determine the earthquake angle influence on the seismic performance. The results show that angle of seismic input motion considerably influences the response of the bridge. It is seen that maximum arch displacements are obtained at X, Y and Z direction for $0^{\circ}$, $65^{\circ}$ and $5^{\circ}$, respectively. The results are changed considerably with the different earthquake angle. The maximum differences are calculated as 57.06%, 114.4% and 55.71% for X, Y and Z directions, respectively. The maximum axial forces, shear forces and bending moments are obtained for bridge arch at $90^{\circ}$, $5^{\circ}$ and $0^{\circ}$, respectively. The maximum differences are calculated as 49.12%, 37.37% and 51.50%, respectively. The maximum shear forces and bending moments are obtained for bridge deck at $0^{\circ}$. The maximum differences are calculated as 49.67%, and 49.15%, respectively. It is seen from the study that the variation of earthquake angle effect the structural performance of highway bridges considerably. But, there is not any specific earthquake angle of incidence for each structures or members which increases the value of internal forces of all structural members together. Each member gets its maximum value of in a specific angle of incidence.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.189-206
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• 2011

In this study, the subspace stochastic realization theories (SSR model I and SSR model II) have been applied to a real bridge for estimating its dynamic characteristics (natural frequencies, damping constants, and vibration modes) under ambient vibration. A numerical simulation is carried out for an arch-type steel truss bridge using a white noise excitation. The estimates obtained from this simulation are compared with those obtained from the Finite Element (FE) analysis, demonstrating good agreement and clarifying the excellent performance of this method in estimating the structural dynamic characteristics. Subsequently, these methods are applied to the vibration induced by both strong and weak winds as obtained by remote monitoring of the Kabashima bridge (an arch-type steel truss bridge of length 136 m, and situated in Nagasaki city). The results obtained with this experimental data reveal that more accurate estimates are obtained when strong wind vibration data is used. In contrast, the vibration data obtained from weak wind provides accurate estimates at lower frequencies, and inaccurate accuracy for higher modes of vibration that do not get excited by the wind of lower intensity. On the basis of the identified results obtained using both simulated data and monitored data from a real bridge, it is determined that the SSR model II realizes more accurate results than the SSR model I. In general, the approach investigated in this study is found to provide acceptable estimates of the dynamic characteristics of highway bridges as well as for the vibration monitoring of bridges.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.161-175
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• 2018

In this study, in-situ dynamic tests of the world's longest steel box tied-arch bridge over the Yangtze River, China, are reported. The double deck bridge supports highway and monorail systems at upper and lower levels, respectively. Strain, displacement, and acceleration responses were measured and used to investigate the vibration characteristics of the bridge when excited by running trains and/or trucks at a speed of 5-60 km/h, train braking, and truck bouncing. Impact factors were correlated with the running speed of trains and trucks. A three-dimensional finite element model of the coupled monorail-train-bridge vibration system accounting for track irregularities was established to understand the system behavior and validated by the experimental results. Truck bouncing was the dominant impact factor on bridge responses. The running speed of vehicles determined the riding comfort of traveling trains.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.131-154
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• 2012

In this paper, it is aimed to determine the seismic behaviour of highway bridges by nondestructive testing using ambient vibration measurements. Eynel Highway Bridge which has arch type structural system with a total length of 216 m and located in the Ayvaclk county of Samsun, Turkey is selected as an application. The bridge connects the villages which are separated with Suat U$\breve{g}$urlu Dam Lake. A three dimensional finite element model is first established for a highway bridge using project drawings and an analytical modal analysis is then performed to generate natural frequencies and mode shapes in the three orthogonal directions. The ambient vibration measurements are carried out on the bridge deck under natural excitation such as traffic, human walking and wind loads using Operational Modal Analysis. Sensitive seismic accelerometers are used to collect signals obtained from the experimental tests. To obtain experimental dynamic characteristics, two output-only system identification techniques are employed namely, Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition technique in the frequency domain and Stochastic Subspace Identification technique in time domain. Analytical and experimental dynamic characteristic are compared with each other and finite element model of the bridge is updated by changing of boundary conditions to reduce the differences between the results. It is demonstrated that the ambient vibration measurements are enough to identify the most significant modes of highway bridges. After finite element model updating, maximum differences between the natural frequencies are reduced averagely from 23% to 3%. The updated finite element model reflects the dynamic characteristics of the bridge better, and it can be used to predict the dynamic response under complex external forces. It is also helpful for further damage identification and health condition monitoring. Analytical model of the bridge before and after model updating is analyzed using 1992 Erzincan earthquake record to determine the seismic behaviour. It can be seen from the analysis results that displacements increase by the height of bridge columns and along to middle point of the deck and main arches. Bending moments have an increasing trend along to first and last 50 m and have a decreasing trend long to the middle of the main arches.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.297-303
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• 2010

The current encased-concrete deep corrugated steel plate has an arch type plate structure, which is a compressive strength-dominant structure that has a small moment due to its arch shape. Therefore, it increases the strength against compression by adding reinforcements to make concrete-filling spaces for increasing the compressive strength and forming cross sections that contain reinforced concrete. In this study, the safety factor of the new-concept encased-concrete bridge plate member was evaluated by comparing the compressive strength obtained from the compressive tests, flexural tests and the design compressive strength determined by using the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC, 2003), which is a design standard for the encased-concrete bridge plate structures. The results of the safety factor evaluation using the design compressive strength and the test results showed that the safety factor was well above the appropriate value 2.0, which could be adjudged very conservative. If the safety factor based on this study results is considered and applied to the design, economical construction will be possible due to the reduced cross section and construction cost.