• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.295-316
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• 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.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.725-736
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• 2017

This paper presents the two-, three-, and four-lane transverse reduction factor based on FEA method, probability theory, and the recently actual traffic flow data. A total of 72 composite girder bridges with various spans, number of lanes, loading mode, and bridge type are analyzed with time-varying static load FEA method by ANSYS, and the probability models of vehicle load effects at arbitrary-time point are developed. Based on these probability models, in accordance to the principle of the same exceeding probability, the multi-lane transverse reduction factor of these composite girder bridges and the relationship between the multi-lane transverse reduction factor and the span of bridge are determined. Finally, the multi-lane transverse reduction factor obtained is compared with those from AASHTO LRFD, BS5400, JTG D60 or Eurocode. The results show that the vehicle load effect at arbitrary-time point follows lognormal distribution. The two-, three-, and four-lane transverse reduction factors calculated by using FEA method and probability respectively range between 0.781 and 1.027, 0.616 and 0.795, 0.468 and 0.645. Furthermore, a correlation between the FEA and AASHTO LRFD, BS5400, JTG D60 or Eurocode transverse reduction factors is made for composite girder bridges. For the two-, three-, and four-lane bridge cases, the Eurocode code underestimated the FEA transverse reduction factors by 27%, 25% and 13%, respectively. This underestimation is more pronounced in short-span bridges. The AASHTO LRFD, BS5400 and JTG D60 codes overestimated the FEA transverse reduction factors. The FEA results highlight the importance of considering span length in determining the multi-lane transverse reduction factors when designing two-lane or more composite girder bridges. This paper will assist bridge engineers in quantifying the adjustment factors used in analyzing and designing multi-lane composite girder bridges.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2008

In the case of horizontally curved bridges, the use of curved composite box girder bridges are increased due to its functionality and for aesthetical reason. As it compared with the open section, the steel box girder bridges have advantages to resistant of distortion and corrosion. In practice the grid analysis is conducted by utilizing only the cross beam. Since the stiffness of the concrete slab is not included in the grid analysis, the cross beam is induced the distribution of the live load. In this study the affects of the radius of curvature, the number of diaphragm and cross beam to the load distribution of the curved steel box girder bridge was investigated by applying the finite element method. The results indicate that the curvature of curved bridge had a large affect of the load distribution and as the curvature was increased the load distribution factor was increased. A single diaphragm at the center of girder is important role for the load distribution effects and structural stability, but additional diaphragm did not affect it as much. The affects of the cross beam to the load distribution were investigated and its influence was minor. It can be safely concluded that the addition of cross beam does not aid the purpose of the live load distribution. And the stiffness of concrete slab for the load distribution effects should be concerned in the design of curved steel box girder bridges.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.17 no.2 s.75
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• pp.131-138
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• 2005

The AASHTO wheel load distribution factor (LDF) equation has been with us since 1931 and has undergone minor modifications. In 1994, an entirely new procedure was introduced in the AASHTO LRFD code based on parametric studies and finite element analyses. However, this LDF equation involves a longitudinal stiffness parameter, the design of which is not initially known. Thus, an iterative procedure is required to correctly determine the LDF value. The increased level of complexity puts undue burden on the designer resulting in a higher likelihood for misinterpretation and error. In this study, based on current AASHTO LRFD framework, a new simplified equation is developed that does not require an iterative procedure. A total of 43 representative composite steel girder bridges are selected and analyzed using a finite element model.The new simplified equation produces LDF values that are always conservative when compared to those obtained from the finite element analyses and are generally greater than the LDF obtained using AASHTO LRFD specification. Therefore, the proposed simplified equation is expected to streamline the determination of LDF for bridge design without sacrificing safety.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.7
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• pp.2702-2707
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• 2010

The load distribution factor (LDF) values of new composite I-beam panel bridges that were subjected to dead load were investigated using three-dimensional finite element analyses with the computer program ABAQUS(2007). This study considered some design parameters such as the slab thickness, the steel-plate thickness, and the span length for design of new composite bridges. The distribution values that were obtained from these analyses were compared with those from the AASHTO Standard, AASHTO LRFD, and the equations presented by Tarhini and Frederick, and Back and Shin. For the simple application of the design, bridge engineers can use the LDF of 0.67 for the exterior girder and of 0.340 for the interior girder.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2015

In this paper, the modified live-load and designed formula are studied according to the fact the highway bridge design specifications are recently revised. The two examples for composite steel plates and PSC girder bridges are studied. The envelope is analyzed with the finite element models and lateral load distribution method applying the existing highway bridge specification(2010), the newly revised highway bridge specification(2015) and AASHTO LRFD. In case of composite steel plates, length changes between spans are studied, and in case of PSC girder. changes of the number of cross-beams and spans, and span-lengths, are analyzed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.535-542
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• 2006

In this study, the effects of cross beams on the lateral distribution of live loads in composite rolled H-beam girder bridges, were investigated through three-dimensional finite element analysis. The parameters considered in this study were the inertial moment ratio between the main girder and the cross beam, the presence of the cross beam, and the number of cross beams. The live load lateral distribution factors were investigated through finite element analysis and the customary grid method. The results show that there was no difference between the bridge models with and without a cross beam. The cross beam of the beam and frame types also showed almost the same live load lateral distribution factors. However, the finite element analysis showed that the concrete slab deck plays a major role in the lateral distribution of a live load, and consequently, the effect of the cross beam is not so insignificant that it can be neglected.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.371-384
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• 2020

The steel-concrete double composite girder in the negative flexural region combines an additional concrete slab to the steel bottom flange to prevent the local steel buckling, however, the additional concrete slab may lower down the neutral axis of the composite section, which is a sensitive factor to the tensile stress restraint on the concrete deck. This is actually of great importance to the structural rationality and durability, but has not been investigated in detail yet. In this case, a series of 5.5 m-long composite girder specimens were tested by negative bending, among which the bottom slab configuration and the longitudinal reinforcement ratio in the concrete deck were the parameters. Furthermore, an analytical study concerning about the influence of bottom concrete slab thickness on the cracking and sectional bending-carrying capacity were carried out. The test results showed that the additional concrete at the bottom improved the composite sectional bending stiffness and bending-carrying capacity, whereas its effect on the concrete crack distribution was not obvious. According to the analytical study, the additional concrete slab at the bottom with an equivalent thickness to the concrete deck slab may provide the best contributions to the improvements of crack initiation bending moment and the sectional bending-carrying capacity. This can be applied for the design practice.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.69 no.3
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• pp.347-359
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• 2019

This paper aims to evaluate the behavior of Dorim-Goh bridge in Seoul, Korea, under static and dynamic loads effects by ambient trucks. The prestressed concrete (PSC) girders and reinforcement concrete (RC) slab of the bridge are evaluated and assessed. A short period monitoring system is designed which comprises displacement, strain and accelerometer sensors to measure the bridge performance under static and dynamic trucks loads. The statistical analysis is used to assess the static behavior of the bridge and the wavelet analysis and probabilistic using Weibull distribution are used to evaluate the frequency and reliability of the dynamic behavior of the bridge. The results show that the bridge is safe under static and dynamic loading cases. In the static evaluation, the measured neutral axis position of the girders is deviated within 5% from its theoretical position. The dynamic amplification factor of the bridge girder and slab are lower than the design value of that factor. The Weibull shape parameters are decreased, it which means that the bridge performance decreases under dynamic loads effect. The bridge girder and slab's frequencies are higher than the design values and constant under different truck speeds.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.60-68
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• 2017

Since the bridge is the main facility of the road that is the core of the civil infrastructure, the bridge is constructed to ensure stability and serviceability during the traffic use. In order to secure the safety of bridges, evaluating the integrity of bridges at present is an important task in the maintenance work of bridges. In general, to evaluate the load carrying capacity of bridges, it is possible to confirm the superimposed behavior and symmetric behavior of bridges by estimating the lateral load distribution factor of the bridges through vehicle loading tests. However, in order to measure the lateral load distribution factor of a commonly used bridge, a static loading test is performed. There is a difficulty in traffic control. Therefore, in this study, the static displacement component of the bridge measured in the dynamic loading test and the ambient vibration test was extracted by using empirical mode decomposition technique. The lateral load distribution was estimated using the extracted static displacement component and compared with the lateral load distribution factor measured in the static loading test.