Bridge Bidding via Deep Reinforcement Learning and Belief Monte Carlo Search

Contract Bridge,a four-player imperfect information game,comprises two phases:bidding and playing.While computer programs excel at playing,bidding presents a challenging aspect due to the need for information exchange with partners and interference with communication of opponents.In this work,we introduce a Bridge bidding agent that combines supervised learning,deep reinforcement learning via self-play,and a test-time search approach.Our experiments demonstrate that our agent outperforms WBridge5,a highly regarded computer Bridge software that has won multiple world championships,by a performance of 0.98 IMPs(international match points)per deal over 10000 deals,with a much cost-effective approach.The performance significantly surpasses previous state-of-the-art(0.85 IMPs per deal).Note 0.1 IMPs per deal is a significant improvement in Bridge bidding.

Maintenance,Repair,and Reinforcement Measures for Dilapidated Small and Medium-Sized Bridges

The paper initiates by exploring the importance of maintaining,repairing,and reinforcing bridges.Subsequently,it delves into routine and preventative maintenance measures tailored for small to medium-sized bridges.Additionally,the paper examines repair and reinforcement techniques specifically designed for deteriorated small and medium-sized bridges,encompassing methods for fortifying both the bridge foundation and upper and lower structures.Lastly,the paper proposes suggestions aimed at fostering discussions and exchanges on the development of maintenance and repair processes for deteriorated small and medium-sized bridges.

Time-varying seismic fragility analysis of durability damage of high-tensile reinforcement ECC bridge pier

The deterioration of the performance of offshore bridges is particularly prominent due to the complex natural environment,including the coupling effects of earthquake and seawater erosion.In particular,bridge piers are the main energy-consuming and load-bearing components,so that excellent seismic capacity of bridge piers is the key to avoiding bridge damage.Although earthquake resistant behavior of ordinary reinforced concrete bridge piers(ordinary pier)can be improved by increasing the section size and reinforcement ratio of piers,the improvement of the earthquake resistant behavior is limited.To further improve the earthquake resistant behavior of bridge piers,high-tensile reinforcement engineered cementitious composite(ECC)bridge piers are utilized and time-varying seismic fragility analysis are conducted in this study.The refined model of a bridge pier is built by OpenSees.First,the influence of ECC replacement height on pier curvature is analyzed to determine the reasonable ECC height.Then,the time-varying fragility analysis of high-tensile reinforcement ECC piers(ECC composite piers)with durability damage are evaluated considering the time-varying law of materials.Four damage states,slight damage,moderate damage,extensive damage and complete collapse,are utilized in the study.These fragility curves indicate the durability damage can debase the earthquake resistant behavior of piers continually,the exceedance probability of the same state of destruction increases with the increase of peak ground acceleration(PGA)and service time of pier.The results also indicate that the corrosion level of chloride ion to pier is small during the early service period,and the bridge pier vulnerable curve is similar to that of the new bridge pier.As the level of chlorine ion corrosion deepens,transcendental probability is increased.Compared with the ordinary pier,the exceedance probability in each limit state of ECC composite piers is significantly reduced.The proposed ECC composite pies leads to better realistic time-varying earthquake resistant behavior.

Analysis on Effectiveness of Testing and Evaluation of Bridge Repair and Reinforcement

Bridge engineering is an important part of basic engineering in today’s transportation field,and its quality and performance have a vital impact on the improvement and development of modern transportation engineering.With the continuous development of transportation engineering,the maintenance and reinforcement of existing bridges are also being given more emphasis.In order to scientifically evaluate the effectiveness of bridge maintenance and reinforcement,this paper analyzes its detection and evaluation,including the significance,key points,and main methods of detection and evaluation.Therefore,this analysis aim to provide some reference for the maintenance and reinforcement and the quality improvement of bridge engineering.

An Rapid Assessment Method for Bearing Capacity of RC Girder Bridges Based on Residual Strain

In order to realize the in-situ evaluation of reinforced concrete bridges subjected to fatigue for a long time or after earthquake, an evaluation method for cumulative damage of concrete structures based on unloading elastic modulus was proposed. First, according to the concrete stress-strain curve and the statistical relationship between residual strain and cumulative strain, the calculation method of static equivalent strain and residual strain concrete based on unloading elastic modulus and the method for estimating the strength of concrete after damage were proposed. The detailed steps of field test and analysis and the practical damage indicators of residual strain were given. Then, the evaluation method of existing stress and strain of Reinforced Concrete Bridge under dead load and the concept of “equivalent dead load bending moment” were put forward. On this basis, the paper analyzed the root cause of the decrease of bearing capacity of Reinforced Concrete Bridge after fatigue damage, and pointed out that the equivalent strain or residual strain of reinforced concrete increases under the fatigue effect, which led to the decreasing of actual live moment and deformation performance while the ultimate load-carrying capacity remained constant or very little decrease. The evaluation method of structure residual capacity was given, and through comparative analysis of eight T reinforced concrete beams that had been in service for 35 years with the static failure tests, the effectiveness of the method was verified.

Analysis of Road Bridge Repair and Strengthening Construction Technology

Highway infrastructure plays a crucial role in the healthy development of the social economy.Therefore,China has invested a lot of financial resources in the construction of road and bridge projects in recent years,resulting in the rise in scale and number of road and bridge projects.Simultaneously,the quality of road bridges has garnered widespread attention,necessitating an exploration of common hazards associated with road bridges and the significance of their reinforcement.It is essential to delve into specific technical methods to enhance the quality and service life of road bridges.This paper elaborates on the common hazards faced by road bridges and proposes maintenance and reinforcement strategies to promote the healthy development of road bridge engineering.

Reinforcement Effect Evaluation on Dynamic Characteristics of an Arch Bridge Based on Vehicle-Bridge Coupled Vibration Analysis

To numerically evaluate the reinforcement effect on dynamic characteristics of a concrete-filled steel tube arch bridge with vibration problems,a 12-degree-of-freedom sprung-mass dynamic vehicle model and a 3D finite element bridge model were established.Then,the coupled equations of vehicle-bridge interaction were derived and a computer program was developed using the FORTRAN language.This program can accurately simulate vehicle-bridge coupled vibration considering the bumping effect and road surface irregularity during motion of the vehicle.The simulated results were compared with those of relevant literatures to verify the correctness of the self-developed program.Then,three reinforcement schemes for the bridge(Addition of longitudinal beams,Reinforcement of bridge decks,and Replacement of suspenders)were proposed and numerically simulated,and the vibration reduction effects of the three schemes were evaluated based on the numerical results to find effective ones.It is confirmed that the reinforcement scheme of Addition of longitudinal beams shows the most significant vibration reduction effect.It is recommended in the engineering practice that the combination of the reinforcement schemes of Addition of longitudinal beams and Replacement of bridge deck can be used to solve the excessive vibration problem.

Health Monitoring-Based Assessment of Reinforcement with Prestressed Steel Strand for Cable-Stayed Bridge

This paper presents the method of reinforcing main girder of reinforced concrete cable-stayed bridge with prestressed steel strands.To verify the effectiveness of external prestressed strand reinforcement method.Static load tests and health monitoring-based assessment were carried out before and after reinforcement.Field load test shows that the deflection and stress values of the main girder are reduced by 10%~20%after reinforcement,and the flexural strength and stiffness of the strengthened beam are improved.The deflection and strain data of health monitoring of the specified section are collected.The deflection of the second span is 4 mm~10 mm,the strain range of the upper edge of the second span is-10με~-40με,and the strain range of the lower edge is 30με~75με.These values show the deflection and strain values fluctuate within a prescribed range,verifying the safety of the bridge.The reinforcement method of prestressed steel strand is feasible and effective.It can provide reference basis for the application of external prestressed strand reinforcement technology in similar projects.

Reinforcement and numerical analysis on the corbel of a halfthrough arch bridge

Corbels support the crossbeams of half-through arch bridges. They are prone to cracking easily due to their characteristics and complicated loading conditions. Based on a practical diagnosis of a bridge crossbeam, we bonded steel plates onto bridge corbels to strengthen them. We carried out a numerical analysis on the effectiveness of the reinforcement by using the commercial sof^are ANSYS. The numerical analysis shows that the stresses near the section break increased slightly, but the variation amplitude was small and all the stresses were within an allowable range. The loading test indicates that it is feasible to strengthen the corbel with vertical bonded steel plates. Therefore, the reinforcement is effective and economical. This reinforcement method is suitable for this type of corbel and can be applied in similar cases.

The Detection Evaluation and Reinforcement Research of Kankan River Bridge

This design is about Chongqing Wanzhou district KanKan river crossing test evaluation and reinforcement renovation. The bridge is an open spandrel stone arch bridge. After years of operating, defects arise from different parts. To verify whether the bridge meets the bearing capacity of highway grade I standard, this design firstly evaluates the bridge through the apparent diseases. Then it uses Midas/Civil to calculate the bearing capacity of lateral control section for Zhou Jiaba arch foot, L/4 and arch section. Using Midas/Civil control section load calculation, load test plan is made. In the end, by increasing cross-section method, the bridge reinforcement maintenance plan is made;that is increasing abdominal 26 cm concrete layer in the main arch ring of arch so that the bridge meets grade I highway capacity requirements.

Earthquake simulation test of circular reinforced concrete bridge column under multidirectional seismic excitation

Structures behave multi-directionally when subjected to earthquake excitation. Thus, it is essential to evaluate the effect of multidirectional loading on the dynamic response and seismic performance of reinforced concrete bridge columns in order to develop more advanced and reliable design procedures. To investigate such effects, a 1/4 scaled circular reinforced concrete bridge column specimen was tested under two horizontal and one vertical components of a strong motion that has long duration with several strong pulses. Damage progress of reinforced concrete columns subjected to strong excitation was evaluated from the test. The test results demonstrate that the lateral force response in the principal directions become smaller than computed flexural capacity due to the bilateral flexural loading effects, and that the lateral response is not significantly affected by the fluctuation of the axial force because the horizontal response and axial force barely reached the maximum simultaneously due to difference of the predominant natural periods between the vertical and the horizontal directions. Accuracy of fiber analyses is discussed using the test results.

Research on heavy-haul adaptive technology and strengthening measures for existing railway steel bridge

Purpose–This research addresses the diverse characteristics of existing railway steel bridges in China,including variations in construction age,design standards,structural types,manufacturing processes,materials and service conditions.It also focuses on prominent defects and challenges related to heavy transportation conditions,particularly low live haul reserves and severe fatigue problems.Design/methodology/approach–The study encompasses three key aspects:(1)Adaptability assessment:It begins with assessing the suitability of existing railway steel bridges for heavy-haul operations through comprehensive analyses,experiments and engineering applications.(2)Strengthening:To combat frequent crack defects in the vertical stiffener end structure of girder webs,fatigue performance tests and reinforcement scheme experiments were conducted.These experiments included the development of a hot-spot stress S-N curve for this structure,validating the effectiveness of methods like crack stop holes,ultrasonic hammering and flange angle steel.(3)Service life extension:Research on the cruciform welded joint structure(non-fusion transfer type)focused on fatigue performance over the long life cycle.This led to the establishment of a fatigue S-N curve,enhancing Chinese design codes.Findings–The research achieved several significant outcomes:(1)Successful implementation of strengthening and retrofitting measures on a 64-m single-span double-track railway steel truss girder on an existing heavy-duty line.(2)Post-reinforcement,a substantial 26%to 32%reduction in live haul stress on bridge members was achieved.(3)The strengthening and retrofitting efforts met design expectations,enabling the bridge to accommodate vehicles with a 30-ton axle haul on the railway line.Originality/value–This research systematically tackles challenges and defects associated with Chinese existing railway steel bridges,providing valuable insights into adaptability assessment,strengthening techniques and service life extension methods.Furthermore,the development of fatigue S-N curves and the successful implementation of bridge enhancements have practical implications for improving the resilience and operational capacity of railway steel bridges in China.

Seismic Analysis for Rigid-Framed Prestressed Reinforced Concrete Bridge in Tianjin Light Railway

The seismic analysis of a rigid-framed prestressed concrete bridge in Tianjin Light Railway is performed. A 3-D dynamic finite element model of the bridge is established considering the weakening effect caused by the soft soil foundation. After the dynamic characteristics are calculated in terms of natural frequencies and modes, the seismic analysis is carried out using the modal response spectrum method and the time-history method, respectively. Based on the calculated results, the reasonable design values are finally suggested as the basis of the seismic design of the bridge, and meanwhile the problems encountered were also analyzed. Finally, some conclusions are drawn as: 1) Despite the superiority of rigid-framed prestressed concrete bridge, the upper and lower ends of the piers of the bridge are proved to be the crucial parts of the bridge, which are easily destroyed under designed earthquake excitations and should be carefully analyzed and designed; 2) The soft soil foundation can possibly result in rather weakening of the lateral rigidity of the rigid-framed bridge, and should be paid considerable attention; 3) The modal response spectrum method, combined with time-history method, is suggested for the seismic analysis in engineering design of the rigid-framed prestressed concrete bridge.

Analysis on Construction Technology of Reinforced Concrete Tied Arch Bridge

Bridge construction has received a lot of attention as transportation continues to improve.Reinforced concrete linked arch bridges are a common bridge style in today’s bridge construction.This type of bridge not only has a basic and generous shape,but it is also incredibly easy to construct,resulting in significant material and construction cost savings.This article analyzes the construction technology of a reinforced concrete linked arch bridge in order to achieve good construction and application.It is hoped that this analysis can provide a scientific reference for the guarantee of the construction quality and subsequent application effect of this kind of bridge.

Flexure-Compression Testing of Bridge Timber Piles Retrofitted with Fiber Reinforced Polymers

The adequacy of using Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) retrofit technique to restore the flexure-compression behavior of deteriorated bridge timber piles is examined experimentally in this paper. Sixteen specimens are tested monotonically under eccentric compressive loading. The specimens are first tested in their unretrofitted condition to determine their elastic properties. Each specimen is then cut and connected (posted) using the proposed FRP retrofit technique, and retested. The results show that the retrofitted specimens are capable of reaching same or higher strengths than that of the unretrofitted specimens with minimal reduction in their stiffness. Based on the experimental results, a design equation is presented to compute the volumetric ratio of FRP needed for retrofitting bridge timber piles under eccentric load.

Investigation of effect of near-fault motions on substandard bridge structures

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of near-fault ground motions on substandard bridge columns and piers. To accomplish these goals, several large scale reinforced concrete models were constructed and tested on a shake table using near- and far-field ground motion records. Because the input earthquakes for the test models had different characteristics, three different measures were used to evaluate the effect of the input earthquake. These measures are peak shake table acceleration, spectral acceleration at the fundamental period of the test specimens, and the specimen drift ratios. For each measure, force-displacement relationships, strains, curvatures, drift ratios, and visual damage were evaluated. Results showed that regardless of the measure of input or response, the near-fault record generally led to larger strains, curvatures, and drift ratios. Furthermore, residual displacements were small compared to those for columns meeting current seismic code requirements.

Rapid repair of severely earthquake-damaged bridge piers with flexural-shear failure mode

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of a proposed rapid repair technique for severely earthquake-damaged bridge piers with flexural-shear failure mode. Six circular pier specimens were first tested to severe damage in flexural-shear mode and repaired using early-strength concrete with high-fluidity and carbon fiber reinforced polymers （CFRP）. After about four days, the repaired specimens were tested to failure again. The seismic behavior of the repaired specimens was evaluated and compared to the original specimens. Test results indicate that the proposed repair technique is highly effective. Both shear strength and lateral displacement of the repaired piers increased when compared to the original specimens, and the failure mechanism of the piers shifted from flexural-shear failure to ductile flexural failure. Finally, a simple design model based on the Seible formulation for post-earthquake repair design was compared to the experimental results. It is concluded that the design equation for bridge pier strengthening before an earthquake could be applicable to seismic repairs after an earthquake if the shear strength contribution of the spiral bars in the repaired piers is disregarded and 1.5 times more FRP sheets is provided.

Aerodynamic stability of cable-supported bridges using CFRP cables

To gain understanding of the applicability of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) cable in cable-supported bridges, based on the Runyang Bridge and Jinsha Bridge, a suspension bridge using CFRP cables and a cable-stayed bridge using CFRP stay cables are designed, in which the cable’s cross-sectional area is determined by the principle of equivalent axial stiffness. Numerical investigations on the aerodynamic stability of the two bridges are conducted by 3D nonlinear aerodynamic stability analysis. The results showed that as CFRP cables are used in cable-supported bridges, for suspension bridge, its aerodynamic stability is superior to that of the case using steel cables due to the great increase of the torsional frequency; for cable-stayed bridge, its aerodynamic stability is basically the same as that of the case using steel stay cables. Therefore as far as the wind stability is considered, the use of CFRP cables in cable-supported bridges is feasible, and the cable’s cross-sectional area should be deter-mined by the principle of equivalent axial stiffness.

A simple analytical solution for predicting deflection of a hybrid FRP-aluminum modular space truss bridge

A novel hybrid FRP-aluminum space truss was employed in a two-rut modular bridge superstructure, which is composed of standard structural units. The main objective of this work was to obtain a simple analytical solution that can conveniently predict the deflection of the proposed hybrid space truss bridge. The analytical formulae are expected to possess a straightforward format and simple calculation process. A simple description of the proposed bridge was introduced. The design formulae of the deflection were derived based on a simplified analytical plane truss model, which possessed hinge nodes and was subsequently simplified as two solid web beams during the theoretical derivation process. To validate the analytical model and formulae, numerical and experimental works were conducted and compared with the theoretical solutions. The results indicate that the analytical formulae provide higher deflection magnitudes with a difference of <1.5% compared with the experiments performed and <4.5% compared with the FE model used; the simplified plane truss is thus shown to be an effective analytical model for the derivation of deflection design formulae, which can conveniently calculate the deflection of the hybrid space truss bridge with satisfactory accuracy.

Residual drift spectra for RC bridge columns subjected to near-fault earthquakes

Permanent displacement of a bridge column can be directly measured during the inspection after near-fault earthquakes.However,the engineer needs to estimate the expected residual drift at the design stage to determine if the bridge seismic performance is satisfactory.The most direct method to estimate the residual displacement is nonlinear response history analysis,which is time consuming and cumbersome.Alternatively,an attractive but indirect method is generating estimated residual displacement spectra that depend on displacement ductility demand,column period,site conditions,and earthquake characteristics.Given the period and the expected displacement ductility demand for the column,the residual drift response spectra curves can be utilized to estimate the residual drift demand.Residual drift spectra that are applicable to RC bridge columns in different parts of the United States were developed based on nonlinear response history analyses using a comprehensive collection of recorded and synthetic near-fault ground motions and were linked to one-second spectral acceleration(S1)of the AASHTO maps.It was also found that the residual drift ratio is below one percent when S1 is less than 0.6 g.