Fatigue Crack Propagation Law of Corroded Steel Box Girders in Long Span Bridges

In order to investigate the fatigue performance of orthotropic anisotropic steel bridge decks,this study realizes the simulation of the welding process through elastic-plastic finite element theory,thermal-structural sequential coupling,and the birth-death element method.The simulated welding residual stresses are introduced into the multiscale finite element model of the bridge as the initial stress.Furthermore,the study explores the impact of residual stress on crack propagation in the fatigue-vulnerable components of the corroded steel box girder.The results indicate that fatigue cracks at the weld toe of the top deck,the weld root of the top deck,and the opening of the transverse diaphragm will not propagate under the action of a standard vehicle load.However,the inclusion of residual stress leads to the propagation of these cracks.When considering residual stress,the fatigue crack propagation paths at the weld toe of the transverse diaphragm and the U-rib weld toe align with those observed in actual bridges.In the absence of residual stress,the cracks at the toe of the transverse diaphragm with a 15%mass loss rate are categorized as type I cracks.Conversely,when residual stress is considered,these cracks become I-II composite cracks.Residual stress significantly alters the cumulative energy release rate of the three fracturemodes.Therefore,incorporating the influence of residual stress is essential when assessing the fatigue performance of corroded steel box girders in long-span bridges.

Flexural failure experiment on cracked PC simply supported box girders

Long-term load and flexural failure experiments are carried out on two prestressed concrete(PC) simply supported box girders. In the long-term load experiment, girder-1(G1) is in an elastic state, while girder-2(G2) is in a cracking state. To investigate the influence of cracking on the flexural behaviors of PC simply supported box beams, the experiment results are analyzed from many aspects, such as load–deflection, load–strain, and failure mode. Experiment results show the following: 1) the shrinkage and creep of concrete have considerable influences on the long-term deflection and strain of the two girders; 2) in the flexural failure experiment, the cracks and ultimate loads of the two girders are close. The rigidity degeneration of G2 is significantly faster than that of G1, and thus G2 shows nonlinear characteristics earlier; 3) to prove the validity and rationality of the current code, the cracking load and ultimate load of the two girders are calculated according to the current code.

Temperature distributions in concrete box girders due to heat of concrete hydration

Based on heat transfer theory,a two-dimensional complex exponential function was used to compute heat of concrete hydration.A concrete box girder consisting of a single box with two cells used on Harbin Songpu Bridge was measured on site.The two coefficients in the complex exponential function were determined to best fit the field measured data.ABAQUS program was used to simulate the heat transfer and determine the temperature distribution in the concrete box girders during concrete setting.The calculated temperature distribution in the box girders were compared with the field measured data and good agreement was observed.The temperature distribution and gradient in the entire box section,webs and bottom slab were analyzed using the measured and calculated results during the course of concrete hydration.

Vibro-acoustic performance of steel–concrete composite and prestressed concrete box girders subjected to train excitations

Owning to good mechanical properties,steel–concrete composite(SCC)and prestressed concrete(PC)box girders are the types of elevated structures used most in urban rail transit.However,their vibro-acoustic differences are yet to be explored in depth,while structure-radiated noise is becoming a main concern in noise-sensitive environments.In this work,numerical simulation is used to investigate the vibration and noise characteristics of both types of box girders induced by running trains,and the numerical procedure is verified with data measured from a PC box girder.The mechanism of vibration transmission and vibro-acoustic comparisons between SCC and PC box girders are investigated in detail,revealing that more vibration and noise arise from SCC box girders.The vibration differences between them are around 7.7 dB(A)at the bottom plate,19.3 dB(A)at the web,and 6.7 dB(A)at the flange,while for structure-radiated noise,the difference is around 5.9 dB(A).Then,potential vibroacoustic control strategies for SCC box girders are discussed.As the vibro-acoustic responses of two types of girders are dominated by the force transmitted to the bridge deck,track isolation is better than structural enhancement.It is shown that using a floating track slab can make the vibration and noise of an SCC box girder lower than those of a PC box girder.However,structural enhancement for the SCC box girder is extremely limited in effects.The six proposed structural enhancement measures reduce vibration by only 1.1–3.6 dB(A) and noise by up to1.5 dB(A).

Explosion resistance performance of reinforced concrete box girder coated with polyurea:Model test and numerical simulation

To study the anti-explosion protection effect of polyurea coating on reinforced concrete box girder,two segmental girder specimens were made at a scale of 1:3,numbered as G(without polyurea coating)and PCG(with polyurea coating).The failure characteristics and dynamic responses of the specimens were compared through conducting explosion tests.The reliability of the numerical simulation using LS-DYNA software was verified by the test results.The effects of different scaled distances,reinforcement ratios,concrete strengths,coating thicknesses and ranges of polyurea were studied.The results show that the polyurea coating can effectively enhance the anti-explosion performance of the girder.The top plate of middle chamber in specimen G forms an elliptical penetrating hole,while that in specimen PCG only shows a very slight local dent.The peak vertical displacement and residual displacement of PCG decrease by 74.8% and 73.7%,respectively,compared with those of specimen G.For the TNT explosion with small equivalent,the polyurea coating has a more significant protective effect on reducing the size of fracture.With the increase of TNT equivalent,the protective effect of polyurea on reducing girder displacement becomes more significant.The optimal reinforcement ratio,concrete strength,thickness and range of polyurea coating were also drawn.

Discussion on Detection and Evaluation of Simply Supported Prestressed Concrete Small Box Girder Bridge After a Fire

The article takes a simply supported prestressed concrete small box girder bridge project as an example for inspection and evaluation after a fire incident.This includes appearance detection,concrete color hardness detection,concrete strength detection,concrete surface damage layer detection,reinforcement protective layer detection,and concrete carbonation detection.It is hoped that this analysis can be used as a reference for the detection and evaluation of future bridge projects with fire incidents to smoothen its subsequent repair and maintenance.

A Review of the Key Points in the Design of Small-Radius Curved Ramp Bridges

This article explores the fundamentals of small-radius curved ramp bridges.It covers the selection of box girder spans,support methods,and forms,along with design optimization techniques for this type of bridge structure.The purpose of this paper is to provide robust support for enhancing the design quality of these bridges and ensuring their efficacy in real-world applications.

Influence of aerodynamic configuration of a streamline box girder on bridge flutter and vortex-induced vibration

Streamline box girders are widely applied in the design and construction of long-span bridges all over the world. In order to study the influence of modifications of aerodynamic configuration and accessory components on flutter and vortex-induced vibration （VIV）, more than 60 cases were tested through a 1：50 scale section model. The test results indicates that the aerodynamic configuration and accessory components of streamline box girders can signifi- cantly affect the wind-induced vibration of bridge, which is in good agreement with the experience of past researchers. From the tests carried out, it is observed that if the horizontal angle of the inclined web of the streamline box girder is below 16°, the critical flutter wind speed of bridge will increase remarkably, and the VIV will diminish. The test results also show that the 15° inclined web can restrain the formation of vortex near the tail, and consequently improve the performance of aerodynamic stability of long-span bridges. Finally, a new streamline box girder with 15° inclined web was presented and strongly recommended in the aerodynamic configuration design of long-span bridges.

Wind tunnel measurement of aerodynamic characteristics of trains passing each other on a simply supported box girder bridge

The aerodynamic performance of high-speed trains passing each other was investigated on a simply supported box girder bridge,with a span of 32 m,under crosswinds.The bridge and train models,modeled at a geometric scale ratio of 1:30,were used to test the aerodynamic forces of the train,with the help of a designed moving test rig in the XNJD-3 wind tunnel.The effects of wind speed,train speed,and yaw angle on the aerodynamic coefficients of the train were analyzed.The static and moving model tests were compared to demonstrate how the movement of the train influences its aerodynamic characteristics.The results show that the sheltering effect introduced by trains passing each other can cause a sudden change in force on the leeward train,which is further influenced by the wind and running speeds.Detailed analyses related to the effect of wind and train speeds on the aerodynamic coefficients were conducted.The relationship between the change in aerodynamic coefficients and yaw angle was finally described by a series of proposed fitting formulas.

EFFECTIVE FLANGE WIDTH OF SIMPLY SUPPORTED BOX GIRDER UNDER UNIFORM LOAD

A new method for the determination of effective flange width under uniform load on simply supported box girder bridges considering shear lag effect is proposed in this paper. Based on the Symplectic Elasticity method, the flange slab of the box girder is simplified into a plane stress plate. Using equilibrium conditions of the plates, the Hamilton dual equations for top plate element is established. The analytical formulas of each plate element considering shear lag effect are derived. The closed polynomial effective width expression of flange slab under uniform load on the whole span length has been obtained. Through examples using the finite element method, the results obtained by the proposed method are examined and the accuracy of the proposed method is verified.

Fatigue Performance Analysis and Evaluation for Steel Box Girder Based on Structural Health Monitoring System

Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge as a long-span suspension bridge,the finite element model(FEM)of it is established using the ANSYS Software.The beam4 element is used to simulate the main beam to establish the“spine beam”model of the Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge.The calculated low-order vibration mode frequency of the FEM is in good agreement with the completion test results.The model can simulate the overall dynamic response of the bridge.Based on the vehicle load survey,the Monte Carlo method is applied to simulate the traffic load flow.Then the overall dynamic response analysis of FEM is car-ried out.Taking the bending moment of the main beam as the control index,the fatigue sensitive section in the steel box girder of FEM is analyzed.Based on the strain time history data of steel box girder recorded by the structural health mon-itoring system(SHM),the true stress response of steel box girder under vehicle load is extracted.Taking the cumulative fatigue damage increment as the evalua-tion index,the fati gue performance evaluation of the steel box girders is con-ducted based on the collected health monitoring data.The fatigue effect of the beam section near the steel tower,especially the first section of the middle tower,is the key section of the fatigue analysis by health morning system,which is con-sistent with the calculation results of FEM.

Fatigue Performance of Orthotropic Steel Decks in Super-Wide Steel Box Girder Considering Transverse Distribution of Vehicle Load

This study presents an investigation on the fatigue analysis of four types of details on orthotropic steel decks(OSDs)for a cable-stayed super-wide steel box girder bridge based on finite-element analysis(FEA)with vehicle transverse distribution model(VTDM).A high-fidelity 3D FE model verified by the static load test is established to satisfy the fatigue analysis accuracy.The stress behavior of super-wide steel box girders under the vehicle load at different lane locations is investigated.Then,considering the effect of VTDM,the fatigue life analysis of four typical details is performed using the Miner cumulative damage rule.The results show that the vehicle transverse location has a great influence on the stress behavior of details with sharp influence surface,and the stress ranges in the outermost lane are larger than those in other lanes,indicating that the details of OSD in the outermost lane are prone to fatigue.The fatigue life analysis indicates that the diaphragm cutout is more prone to fatigue than other details,which should be carefully treated in bridge maintenance.

GMA material design and construction quality control for asphalt pavement of steel box girder: Case study of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge

To improve the quality of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge paving project,a new paving layer material,Guss-mastic asphalt(GMA),was proposed in this paper by combining the advantages of two types of cast asphalt mixtures:mastic asphalt(MA)and Guss asphalt(GA).Based on the characteristics of GMA,to simulate its actual production process,this study developed a small-simulated cooker mixing equipment.Moreover,the flow degree,60C dynamic stability,and impact toughness were proposed to be used to evaluate the construction and ease,high temperature stability,and fatigue resistance of GMA cast asphalt mixtures,respectively.Moreover,the quality control standards for GMA paving materials by indoor tests,field trial mix GMA material performance tests,and accelerated loading tests were finalized.The study showed that the developed simulated cooker yielded consistent mixing results in the same working environment as the engineering cooker device.Increasing the coarse aggregate incorporation rate,coarsening the mastic epure(ME)gradation composition,and using a smaller oil to stone ratio can reduce the flowability of the GMA materials to varying degrees.The four-point bending fatigue life and impact toughness of the different GMA materials are correlated well.A mobility of<20 s,60C dynamic stability of 400–800 times/mm,15C impact toughness of400 N⋅mm,and cooker car mixing temperature control standard of 210C–230C form an appropriate control index system for the design and production of GMA cast asphalt mixtures.Simultaneously,accelerated loading tests verified the accuracy and reliability of the quality control index system that has been used in the GMA paving project of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge deck and has achieved good application results.

Analysis and Research on the Load of the Box Girder Locomotive Turntable

The locomotive turntable is an essential device for the steering operation of the railway locomotive. This paper has introduced the structural composition and characteristics of the box girder locomotive turntable, has ana- lyzed its vertical load, horizontal load and torsional load, and has established a mechanical model for the symmet- rical structure of the box girder locomotive turntable under the action of positive and negative symmetric vertical loads. Furthermore, it has also demonstrated the safe and reliable structural performance of this type of locomotive turntable on the basis of the practical example of a 35 m box girder locomotive turntable.

Discussion on Construction and Erection Technology of Bridge Precast Box Girder

At present,the precast construction technology has been widely used,especially in the process of bridge construction,where the precast box girder construction and erection technology has attracted more attention compared to other available methods.In order to effectively improve the application effect of this technology,and the overall quality of the bridge,this paper discusses the advantage and disadvantage of implementing the precast box girder construction and erection technology in the bridge construction.

Key Technology and Complete-set Equipment for Intelligent Construction of HSR Simply-supported Girder Reinforcement Framework

In view of the problems such as backward production mode,poor quality stability,high safety risk and incomplete control system during erection of the reinforcement framework of simply-supported box girders for high-speed railway(HSR),and in combination with the key points and main challenges in the reinforcement framework construction of Guangzhou-Zhanjiang HSR,the overall technical route for the intelligent manufacturing of reinforcement framework of simply-supported box girders is put forward.The component design of reinforcement framework of simply supported box girder is carried out based on BIM,and the feasibility of the scheme is verified through segment assembly test.The assembly techniques are studied in combination with the mesh design scheme to achieve rapid forming of the reinforcement framework.R&D of automatic processing equipment for components,material transshipment equipment,automatic hoisting equipment and technological equipment for assembly clamping fixture are carried out to realize the overall design of equipment production line.An intelligent control system is developed for the whole-process intelligent construction of reinforcement framework to realize the full life-cycle applications for the workshop production and visual management including intelligent layout and quality traceability.The research results systematically optimize and innovate the assembly and forming technologies of reinforcement framework in the prefabrication beam yard of high-speed railway,realize the component processing,automatic assembly and information technology management,improve the construction quality,efficiency and information technology level of intelligent manufacturing of reinforcement framework of railway prefabricated beam as a whole,and reduce the construction cost of the project.The research has realized a major breakthrough in the construction technology of railway prefabricated box girders,which has the extensive technical and market promotion values.

Design and field tests of a deck-extension bridge with small box girder

A jointless bridge could fundamentally eliminate vulnerable deck joints, thereby meeting the need for sustainable development of bridges, especially for an expressway with highspeed traffic. In this paper, one jointless bridge(deck-extension bridge) with a small box girder in an expressway was chosen as a case study to examine the structural design,construction and field test. The field tests of the bridge indicated that the designed and constructed structures can satisfy the requirement for service performance of the deckextension bridge. Some key technologies, such as the position of longitudinal reinforcements in the superstructure-approach slab connections and the arrangement of the sliding material layers, were introduced. The longitudinal thermal movement of the superstructure in the deck-extension bridge with a small box girder could be predicted accurately by using the average temperature of the cross section of a small box girder. The finite element model, built by using the MIDAS program, was used to analyze the temperature distribution on the cross section of a small box girder, the accuracy of which could be verified by comparing with the measured values. The maximum longitudinal thermal movement of the superstructure in deck-extension bridges with a small box girder under historically extreme temperature conditions was predicted.

Computer Simulation of Dynamic Interactions Between Vehicle and Long Span Box Girder Bridges

Moving vehicle loads, associated with roadway traffic can induce significant dynamic effects on the structural behaviours of bridges, especially for long-span bridges. The main objective of current research is to study traffic induced dynamic responses of long-span box-girder bridges. The finite element method has been employed in this study to obtain a three-dimensional mathematical model for the bridge system. For vehicle-bridge dynamic interaction analysis, the vehicle is modeled as a more realistic three-axle, six-wheel system, and the corresponding dynamic interaction equations have been derived. The bridge-vehicle interaction is affected by many factors. The current study has been focused on such factors as: vehicle speed, vehicle damping ratio, multiple traffic lanes, mass ratio of vehicle and bridge, and dynamic characteristics of bridge. Case studies have been conducted to investigate these factors by using several box girder bridge examples including Confederation Bridge, the longest box girder bridge in the world.

Environmental noise beside an elevated box girder bridge for urban rail transit

Noise generated by trains running on elevated lines creates many disturbances to the normal lives of surrounding residents. Investigations have shown that people living along elevated lines complain that the noise is sometimes unbearable. To better control the noise and optimize the acoustic environment, noise spectrum characteristics were analyzed and compared with a field test and a numerical simulation. Through an energy analysis of the noise on the bridge side, the energy distribution characteristics of the noise at specific measuring points in different frequency bands were obtained. The influence of the Doppler effect on frequency shift was analyzed. Based on the partial coherence theory, a multi-input and single-output program was compiled to calculate the correlation and contribution degree of the bridge structure-borne noise and wheel/rail noise at the one-third octave center frequency. The results show that the peak noises of the bridge and the wheel/rail are concentrated at 31.5–63 Hz and 400–800 Hz, respectively. For environmental noise on the bridge side, the frequency band above 250 Hz is mainly affected by the wheel/rail noise. In areas of noise source strength, the relative ratio of noise energy above 250 Hz can reach 83.4%. Noise in the near ground and far bridge area is mainly low-frequency, and the relative energy ratio is about 8.9%. The Doppler effect has an influence of less than 6% on the frequency shift with a speed of 67.9 km/h. In the low-frequency band below 250 Hz, the noise in the acoustic shadow area near the bridge and the ground is mainly contributed to by the vibration-radiated noise of the bridge, of which the contribution of the bottom panel is the most prominent. The noise in the comprehensive noise area of the far bridge is mainly caused by the structure-borne noise of the bridge, and the contribution of each bridge panel is different. This study can provide a reference for finding the source of elevated rail noise in some challenging frequency ranges and for then determining optimal designs and measures for noise reduction.

Vertical temperature gradients of concrete box girder caused by solar radiation in Sichuan-Tibet railway

Spatial and temporal temperature variations are critical for concrete box girders,and non-uniform temperature distributions induced by solar radiation depend on the structural shapes and shadows cast on them.There have been many studies of temperature distributions and temperature gradients of concrete box girders,but few have considered a high altitude plateau climatic environment.In this study,the nonlinear temperature distributions of concrete box girders in the Sichuan-Tibet railway caused by solar radiation were investigated based on experimental analysis,real-time shadow-selection algorithm,and finite element method.Furthermore,a vertical temperature gradient model of the concrete box girders was obtained.The vertical temperature gradient values first rise,then decrease,and finally rise again from Chengdu to Lhasa,with samples forming a normal distribution.The recommended vertical temperature gradient value was 25℃with a confidence interval of 95%.This provides a reference for the design and maintenance of concrete box girders on the Sichuan-Tibet railway.