• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제46권3호
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• pp.433-445
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• 2013

Vibration-based structural identification has become an important tool for structural health monitoring and safety evaluation. However, various kinds of uncertainties (e.g., observation noise) involved in the field test data obstruct automation system identification for accurate and fast structural safety evaluation. A practical way including a data preprocessing procedure and a vector backward auto-regressive (VBAR) method has been investigated for practical bridge identification. The data preprocessing procedure serves to improve the data quality, which consists of multi-level uncertainty mitigation techniques. The VBAR method provides a determinative way to automatically distinguish structural modes from extraneous modes arising from uncertainty. Ambient test data of a cantilever beam is investigated to demonstrate how the proposed method automatically interprets vibration data for structural modal estimation. Especially, structural identification of a truss bridge using field test data is also performed to study the effectiveness of the proposed method for real bridge identification.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.139-150
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• 2017

The structural strain plays a significant role in structural condition assessment of in-service bridges in terms of structural bearing capacity, structural reliability level and entire safety redundancy. Therefore, it has been one of the most important parameters concerned by researchers and engineers engaged in structural health monitoring (SHM) practices. In this paper, an SHM system instrumented on the Jiubao Bridge located in Hangzhou, China is firstly introduced. This system involves nine subsystems and has been continuously operated for five years since 2012. As part of the SHM system, a total of 166 fiber Bragg grating (FBG) strain sensors are installed on the bridge to measure the dynamic strain responses of key structural components. Based on the strain monitoring data acquired in recent two years, the strain-based structural condition assessment of the Jiubao Bridge is carried out. The wavelet multi-resolution algorithm is applied to separate the temperature effect from the raw strain data. The obtained strain data under the normal traffic and wind condition and under the typhoon condition are examined for structural safety evaluation. The structural condition rating of the bridge in accordance with the AASHTO specification for condition evaluation and load and resistance factor rating of highway bridges is performed by use of the processed strain data in combination with finite element analysis. The analysis framework presented in this study can be used as a reference for facilitating the assessment, inspection and maintenance activities of in-service bridges instrumented with long-term SHM system.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.387-403
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• 2014

The aim of this study is to assess the structural performance of deteriorated reinforced concrete bridge piers, and to provide method for developing improved evaluation method. For a deteriorated bridge piers, once the cover spalls off and bond between the reinforcement and concrete has been lost, compressed reinforcements are likely to buckle. By using a sophisticated nonlinear finite element analysis program, the accuracy and objectivity of the assessment process can be enhanced. A computer program, RCAHEST (Reinforced Concrete Analysis in Higher Evaluation System Technology), is used to analyze reinforced concrete structures. Material nonlinearity is taken into account by comprising tensile, compressive and shear models of cracked concrete and a model of reinforcing steel. Advanced deteriorated material models are developed to predict behaviors of deteriorated reinforced concrete. The proposed numerical method for the structural performance assessment of deteriorated reinforced concrete bridge piers is verified by comparing it with reliable experimental results. Additionally, the studies and discussions presented in this investigation provide an insight into the key behavioral aspects of deteriorated reinforced concrete bridge piers.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.53-70
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• 2006

The paper summarizes the dynamic-based assessment of a reinforced concrete arch bridge, dating back to the 50's. The outlined approach is based on ambient vibration testing, output-only modal identification and updating of the uncertain structural parameters of a finite element model. The Peak Picking and the Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition techniques were used to extract the modal parameters from ambient vibration data and a very good agreement in both identified frequencies and mode shapes has been found between the two techniques. In the theoretical study, vibration modes were determined using a 3D Finite Element model of the bridge and the information obtained from the field tests combined with a classic system identification technique provided a linear elastic updated model, accurately fitting the modal parameters of the bridge in its present condition. Hence, the use of output-only modal identification techniques and updating procedures provided a model that could be used to evaluate the overall safety of the tested bridge under the service loads.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제24권5호
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• pp.561-584
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• 2006

The paper presents results of parametric studies, and an overall approach for the design of a modular bridge system which incorporates a steel-reinforcement free concrete slab cast on top of carbon FRP stiffened deck panels which act as both structural formwork and flexural reinforcement, spanning between hollow box type FRP girders. Results of the parametric studies are highlighted to elucidate important relationships between critical configurational parameters and empirical equations based on numerical studies are presented. Results are discussed at the level of the individual deck and girder components, and as a slab-on-girder bridge system. An overall design methodology for the components and bridge system including critical performance checks is also presented.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제21권6호
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• pp.96-100
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• 2006

In this thesis, the crack investigation, the damage investigation, the drawing check, and the structural analysis were performed on a curved hollow RC(reinforced concrete) slab bridge structure to assess the structural safety of that. From the crack investigation result, main reason of crack occurrence is guessed with travelling of the large truck. Therefore reinforcement of slab structure is necessary by using the steel plate. When structural analysis, the straight beam model, the curved beam model, and the curved plate model is used. From the results of structural analysis for curved hollow RC slab bridge, the maximum bending moment and the maximum shear force was not a difference in each models. But the vertical displacement of mid span using the curved beam model was greater than that using the other models.

• 한국전산구조공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전산구조공학회 2010년도 정기 학술대회
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• pp.166-169
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• 2010

In early design stages structural form finding is of importance. Theses days the structural forms are forced to satisfy not only engineering criteria but also aesthetic concerns including symbolism. Geometric approach seems to provide many possibilities in generating creative forms as design alternatives for bridge structures. However, the increase in possibilities of geometric application didn't gather much attention from bridge designers who are focusing mainly on structural aspects. Prior to adopting the geometric approach, it is needed to review bridge structures in terms of geometric vocabulary. This study has proposed how to generate geometric forms of bridge structures in terms of geometric computing concepts.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제7권6호
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• pp.551-559
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• 1999

This paper presents some simple thinking on an age-old question that given a bridge of a certain span and loading, from the point of view of the structural efficiency, where should the bridge deck be positioned? Generally, this decision is made for other reasons than structural efficiency such as aesthetics and the analyst is often presented with a fait accompli. Using the recently invented Evolutional Structural Optimisation (ESO) method, it is possible to demonstrate that having the deck at different vertical locations can lead to a very different mass and shape for each structural form resembling cable-stayed and cable-truss bridges. By monitoring a performance index which is the function of stresses and volume of discretised finite elements, the best optimised structure can be easily determined and the bridge deck positioning problem can be efficiently solved without resorting to any complex analysis procedures.

• 한국전산구조공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전산구조공학회 2003년도 가을 학술발표회 논문집
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• pp.444-451
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• 2003

In this study, a new three-dimensional finite element analysis model of high-speed railway bridges considering train-bridge interaction, in which various improved finite elements are used for modeling structural members, is proposed. The box-type bridge deck of a railway bridge is modeled by the NFS(Nonconforming Flat Shell) elements with 6 degrees of freedom. Track structures are idealized using the beam finite elements with the offset of beam nodes and those on Winkler foundation with two parameters. And, the vehicle model devised for a high-speed train is employed, which has an articulated bogie system. By Lagrange's equations of motion, the equations of motion of a bridge-train system can be formulated. Finally, by deriving the equations of the forces acting on a bridge considering bridge-train interaction the complete system matrices of total bridge-train system can be constructed. As numerical examples of this study, 2-span PC box-girder bridge is analyzed and results are compared with experimental results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.1-19
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• 2003

This paper presents the formulation of a new bridge-vehicle system with validation using the field data. Both pitching and twisting modes of the vehicle are considered in the contribution of the dynamic effects in the bridge responses. A heavy vehicle was hired as a control vehicle with known axle weight, axle spacing and spring coefficients. The measured responses were generated from the control vehicle running at a particular speed at a test span at Ma Tau Wai Flyover. The measured responses were acquired using strain gauges installed beneath the girder beams of the test bridge. The simulated responses were generated using BRVEAN that is a self-developed program based on the proposed bridge-vehicle system. The validation shows that the bridge model is valid for representing the test bridge and the governing equations are valid for representing the motion of moving vehicles.