• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• 제3권4호
• /
• pp.295-316
• /
• 2015

A bridge widening technology using steel-concrete composite system was developed and is presented in this paper. The widened superstructure system consists of a newly built composite steel-concrete girder with concrete deck and steel diaphragms attached to the existing concrete girders. This method has been applied in several bridge widening projects in China, and one of those projects is presented in detail. Due to the higher stiffness-to-weight ratio and the rapid erection of composite girders, this widening method reveals benefits in both mechanical performance and construction. As only a few methods for the design of bridges with different types of girders are recommended in current design codes, a more accurate analytical method of estimating live load distribution on girder bridges was developed. In the analytical model, the effects of span length, girder pacing, diaphragms, concrete decks were considered, as well as the torsional and flexural stiffness of both composite box girders and concrete T girders. The study shows that the AASHTO LRFD specification procedures and the analytical models proposed in this paper closely approximate the live load distribution factors determined by finite element analysis. A parametric study was also conducted using the finite element method to evaluate the potential load carrying capacities of the existing concrete girders after widening.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• 제62권6호
• /
• pp.663-674
• /
• 2017

This paper presents an approach for evaluating performance of prestressed concrete (PC) bridge girders exposed to fire. A finite element based numerical model for tracing the response of fire exposed T girders is developed in ANSYS. The analysis is carried out in three stages, namely, fire temperature calculation, cross sectional temperature evaluation, and then strength, deformation and effective prestress analysis on girders exposed to elevated temperatures. The applicability of the computer program in tracing the response of PC bridge girders from the initial preloading stage to failure stage, due to combined effects of fire and structure loading, is demonstrated through a case study, and validated by test data of a scaled PC box girder under ISO834 fire condition. Results from the case study show that fire severity has a significant influence on the fire resistance of PC T girders and hydrocarbon fire is most dangerous for the girder. The prestress loss caused by elevated temperature is about 10% under hydrocarbon fire till the girder failure, which can lead to the increase in deflection of the PC girder. The rate of deflection failure criterion is suggested to determine the failure of PC T girder under fire.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• 제15권2호
• /
• pp.469-488
• /
• 2015

Thermal loads, especially thermal gradients, have a considerable effect on the behaviors of large-scale bridges throughout their lifecycles. Bridge design specifications provide minimal guidance regarding thermal gradients for simple bridge girders and do not consider transversal thermal gradients in wide girder cross-sections. This paper investigates the three-dimensional thermal gradients of arch bridge girders by integrating long-term field monitoring data recorded by a structural health monitoring system, with emphasis on the vertical and transversal thermal gradients of wide concrete-steel composite girders. Based on field monitoring data for one year, the time-dependent characteristics of temperature and three-dimensional thermal gradients in girder cross-sections are explored. A statistical analysis of thermal gradients is conducted, and the probability density functions of transversal and vertical thermal gradients are estimated. The extreme thermal gradients are predicted with a specific return period by employing an extreme value analysis, and the profiles of the vertical thermal gradient are established for bridge design. The transversal and vertical thermal gradients are developed to help engineers understand the thermal behaviors of concrete-steel composite girders during their service periods.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• 제32권3호
• /
• pp.325-336
• /
• 2019

Concrete placement and temporary formwork of bridge deck overhangs result in unbalanced eccentric loads that cause exterior girders to rotate during construction. These construction loads affect the global and local stability of the girders and produce permanent girder rotation after construction. In addition to construction loads, the skew angle of the bridge also contributes to girder rotation. To prevent rotation (in both skewed and non-skewed bridges), a number of techniques have been suggested to temporarily brace the girders using transverse tie bars connecting the top flanges and embedded in the deck, temporary horizontal and diagonal steel pipes placed between the webs of the exterior and first interior girders, and permanent cross frames. This study includes a rigorous three-dimensional finite element analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of several bracing systems for non-skewed and several skewed bridges. In this paper, skew angles of $0^{\circ}$, $20^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$, and $45^{\circ}$ were considered for single- and three-span bridges. The results showed that permanent cross frames worked well for all bridges, whereas temporary measures have limited application depending on the skew angle of the bridge.

• 한국콘크리트학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국콘크리트학회 2002년도 봄 학술발표회 논문집
• /
• pp.519-524
• /
• 2002

The long span PSC deck of composite girder bridge should be needed in order to improve the endurance and to simplify the structure of the steel bridge. However, there have been few domestic research activities about long-span PSC decks for the steel bridges with a small number of girders. In this study, a literature survey is performed to develop a new deck system for the steel bridge with a small number of girders. By considering the characteristics of a small number of girders bridge system, a cast-in-place long span PSC deck is proposed for a small number of girders bridges. To examine structural behavior and safety of the proposed PSC deck, the real scale partial models of the deck(12m$\times$3.2m) are tested under the static loading. In the test, the failure mode and behavior of each specimen, and ultimate load carrying capacity of the proposed PSC deck are identified.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• 제32권2호
• /
• pp.189-198
• /
• 2019

This paper aims to study the mechanical performance of three-tower four-span suspension bridges with steel truss girders, including the static and dynamic characteristics of the bridge system, and more importantly, the influence of structural parameters including the side-main span ratio, sag-to-span ratio and the girder stiffness on key mechanical indices. For this purpose, the Oujiang River North Estuary Bridge which is a three-tower four-span suspension bridge with two main spans of 800m under construction in China is taken as an example in this study. This will be the first three-tower suspension bridge with steel truss girders in the world. The mechanical performance study and parametric analysis are conducted based on a validated three-dimensional spatial truss finite element model established for the Oujiang River North Estuary Bridge using MIDAS Civil. It is found that a relatively small side-main span ratio seems to be quite appropriate from the perspective of mechanical performance. And decreasing the sag-to-span ratio is an effective way to reduce the horizontal force subjected to the midtower and improve the antiskid safety of the main cable, while the vertical stiffness of the bridge will be reduced. However, the girder stiffness is shown to be of minimal significance on the mechanical performance. The findings from this paper can be used for design of three-tower suspension bridges with steel truss girders.

• 한국전산구조공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국전산구조공학회 1998년도 가을 학술발표회 논문집
• /
• pp.193-200
• /
• 1998

The precast prestressed concrete girders of I-type section are frequently employed to design the short-to-medium span bridge. However, its beam depth is greatly increased as its span length is increased over than about 30m. Therefore, the economic and aesthetic effectiveness are rapidly decreased in case of the span length over 30m. The purpose of this paper is to verify the structural safety on the new spliced two span bridge and analyze the variation of member forces and stress distribution according to the construction stages and time. The new spliced technique is performed by partial post tensioning and release in the U-type girders. The structural characteristics of this technique is the introduction of secondary moment to reduce the bending moment by self weight of precast U-type girders constructed in simply supported beam type. So, it is expected that the structural efficiency of this spliced bridge may be improved more than other techniques.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• 제51권1호
• /
• pp.67-88
• /
• 2014

It is shown that topology optimization is a valuable tool for the design of bridge girders. This paper is a follow-up to (Kuty${\l}$owski and Rasiak 2014) and it includes an analysis of truss members' outer dimensions dictated by the standards. Moreover, a frame bridge girder mapped from a selected topology is compared with a typical frame girder on the basis of (Kuty${\l}$owski and Rasiak 2014). The analysis shows that topology optimization by means of the proposed algorithm yields a topology from which one can map a frame bridge girder requiring less material for its construction than the typical frame girder currently used in bridge construction.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• 제32권5호
• /
• pp.509-520
• /
• 2021

The streamlined box is a common type of girders for long-span suspension bridges. Spanning deep canyons, long-span bridges are frequently attacked by strong winds with large angles of attack. In this situation, the flow field around the streamlined box changes significantly, leading to reduction of the flutter performance. The wind fairings have different effects on the flutter performance. Therefore, this study examines the flutter performance of box girders with different wind fairings at large angles of attack. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out to extract the flutter derivatives, and the critical flutter state of a long-span bridge was determined. Further comparisons of the wind fairings were investigated by a rapid method which is related to the input energy by the aerodynamic force. The results show that a reasonable type of wind fairings could improve the flutter performance of long-span bridges at large angles of attack. For the torsional flutter instability, the wind fairings weaken the adverse effect of the vortex attaching to the girder, and a sharper one could achieve a better result. According to the input energies on the girder with different wind fairings, the symmetrical wind fairings are more beneficial to the flutter performance

• 한국철도학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국철도학회 2005년도 추계학술대회 논문집
• /
• pp.240-245
• /
• 2005

There has been a strong demand on more economic and lower depth girder bridges for short and medium span range, PRECOM, which is a new type steel-concrete composite girder, has been developed to realize a more economic bridge system with a lower depth girder. In the PRECOM girder bridge, a steel plate girder is simply supported and then concrete form is hung to girder. Thus, the self-weight of the concrete is loaded to the steel girder. To increase the resistance of concrete in the lower casing against tensile stress, compressive force is introduced by prestressed tendon To evaluate the manufacturability and performances of the completed bridge, four 15-m girders and a bridge specimen with two 20m girders wvere constructed. The camber during the construction and introduction of an appropriate compressive force was evaluated. Dynamic data were obtained through the modal testing of the completed girders. Static loading test was also conducted to examine cracks and evaluate the decrease in stiffness and failure behavior under extreme conditions.