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.

Design on the Prestressed Concrete Frame Beam-column

A bidirectional ribbed concrete beam slab structure was widly adopted for the upper space of industrial buildings.To maintain ample space and minimize the presence of conventional columns,a bidirectional prestressed concrete beam is often employed.The intersection node of the prestressed concrete frame beam column was characterized by a high density of steel reinforcement,significant structural loads,and complex construction requirements.To ensure the quality,safety,and progress of prestressed frame beamcolumn intersection nodes during construction,this article proposed a new technology for constructing such nodes,which includes setting the tensioning and haunching ends of nodes at different positions,using ABAQUS finite element software to optimize the design of cross-sectional dimensions,conducting stress analysis simulations.

Finite element failure analysis of continuous prestressed concrete box girders

In order to analyze the load carrying capacity of prestressed concrete box girders, failure behaviors of in-situ deteriorated continuous prestressed concrete box girders under loading are experimentally observed and a finite failure analysis method for predicting behaviors of box girders is developed. A degenerated solid shell element is used to simulate box girders and material nonlinearity is considered. Since pre-stressed concrete box girders usually have a large number of curve prestressed tendons, a type of combined element is presented to simulate the prestressed tendons of box girders, and then the number of elements can be significantly reduced. The analytical results are compared with full-scale failure test results. The comparison shows that the presented method can be effectively applied to the failure analysis of in-situ continuous prestressed concrete box girders, and it also shows that the studied old bridge still has enough load carrying capacity.

Durability design of prestressed concrete structures

Based on the durability characteristics of prestressed concrete structures,the durability limit states of carbonation and chloride ion attack are defined, respectively.Durability predicting models on the basis of reliability mathematics and stochastic processes areconstructed, and the pure theoretical formulae of failure probability of prestressed concretestructures are analyzed. In addition, a simple durability design method for carbonation ofstructures is put forward. According to the analysis, the durability of prestressed concretestructures is superior to that of traditional structures. The research also indicates that theconcrete cover prescribed in the current code (GB 50010-2002) is not adequate. The rational coverthickness should notbe less than 35 or 45 mm according to carbonation or chloride ion attack,respectively.

Study on the Design Criteria for Prestressed Concrete Pavements

With a concrete pavement slab prestressed, its load carrying capacity can be significantly increased; thus a thinner slab may be used for the same loading. Prestressing modify the structural behavior of the pavement slab and there is a greater resistance to impact, vibration and overloading. This paper discusses the major design considerations necessary in the successful construction of prestressed concrete pavements and presents a design procedure developed to predict the compressive stress due to prestressing in the pavements at early stage, during service and after cracking. Variation in the approach for repetitive and nonrepetitive loads is clearly distinguished. Check on the recovery after cracking for overloading in prestressed pavements is also needed. Finally, a design example is illustrated the application of the approach developed.

Bridge Falsework in Staged Construction of a Prestressed Concrete Beam Bridge

The formwork and falsework in the construction of twin ribbed slab decks on a multi-span ecological bridge for a dual carriageway are presented. The bridge is situated in a valley plain which is crossed by small rivers and was designed principally with the environment in mind. The bridge length is over 356 m, and the width of the decks is 11.5 m. For the bridge works, a simple conventional falsework system was chosen with steel frames for the supports and steel rolled beams for the decks. The formwork was constructed in solid timber and plywood as multiple-use panels. The falsework was designed in order to build the two 10-span bridge decks in stages. The decks are continuous cast-in-situ prestressed concrete twin rib with spans of 30 m, 34 m and 45 m. An individual falsework system was designed, which was easy to move transversally following completion of each stage for one deck. After finishing each stage, for the second deck, the falsework was dismantled and used again in the next construction fronts. An individual arrangement for the falsework along with timber pilings was used to cross the biggest river. The formwork timber panels were used several times in the multistage bridge construction. The adopted falsework system is very simple, but it allowed the speedy construction of the two decks where there were severe time constraints.

Dynamic finite element model updating of prestressed concrete continuous box-girder bridge

The dynamic finite element model （FEM） of a prestressed concrete continuous box-girder bridge, called the Tongyang Canal Bridge, is built and updated based on the results of ambient vibration testing （AVT） using a real-coded accelerating genetic algorithm （RAGA）. The objective functions are defined based on natural frequency and modal assurance criterion （MAC） metrics to evaluate the updated FEM. Two objective functions are defined to fully account for the relative errors and standard deviations of the natural frequencies and MAC between the AVT results and the updated FEM predictions. The dynamically updated FEM of the bridge can better represent its structural dynamics and serve as a baseline in long-term health monitoring, condition assessment and damage identification over the service life of the bridge .

Theoretical analysis of natural frequency of externally prestressed concrete beam based on rigidity correction

A dynamic test on externally prestressed simply supported concrete beams separately with three typical types of tendon distributions was conducted. The results show that the natural frequencies of the beams increase with the increase in the prestressing force at the tensioning stage, and the natural frequencies decrease after the cracks occur in the beams. Following the calculation formula of natural frequency of externally prestressed beam, which was reported in a literature, the natural frequencies of the experimental beams are calculated, and big errors are found between the test results and the calculated ones of natural frequency values. As a result, this paper has tried to adopt two methods to correct the rigidity parameter of the concrete beam in the formula for natural frequency calculation, and to use the corrected formula to calculate the frequencies of the experimental beams. The calculation results indicate a good consistency with the experimental ones, which verifies the feasibility of the corrected formula.

Temperature and Stress Analysis of An Experimental Model of Prestressed Lightweight Concrete Platform

This paper presents an experimental study of a prestressed lightweight concrete platform model with a tank and for five steel-columns. This platform can be used not only for extraction but also for storage of oil and is suitable for the Bohai Sea and other shallow seas of China. The platform is subjected to temperature. load, or both. The corresponding temperature distribution. strains, cracks. and vulnerable parts of the platform are analyzed respectively. By use of the finite element method and empirical formulas, the temperature field of the model is analyzed. The results agree with the experimental results, thereby verifying! the reliability of these two calculating methods. The paper provides an experimental basis for the des sign of the bearing capacity and normal service state of prestressed concrete platforms.

Influence of key factors on deflection of bonded prestressed concrete simply supported slabs subjected to fire

In order to validate the accuracy of nonlinear fire simulation programs,comparison analysis is carried out between simulation and experiment induced from small-scale specimens,and then fire resistance of large-scale prestressed concrete slabs is further investigated through parameter expansion.The influences on fire resistance ratings controlled by deflection are explored and discussed,including effective span,concrete cover thickness,load level,prestress degree,effective prestress,composite reinforcement index and other factors.The calculated results indicate that fire resistance ratings of large-scale bonded prestressed concrete simply supported slabs are bigger than those of small-scale ones.Finally,the calculation formulas of fire resistance ratings controlled by deflection are established,which rationally consider the influence of effective span,concrete cover thickness,load level,composite reinforcement index and so on key factors.

Load history-based model for prestressed concrete beam damage evaluation

The residual capability of a damaged structure to resist further load is essential in optimal seismic design and post-earthquake strengthening. An experimental study on the hysteretic characteristics of prestressed concrete frame beams under different loading histories was performed to explore the influence of load history on energy dissipation and failure characteristics of the member. Based on the test results, the failure of the beam is defined, and the relationship between the failure moment under cyclic load and from the skeleton curve is formulated. Finally, based on displacement and energy dissipation, a model for prestressed concrete beam damage-failure evaluation is developed. In this model, the effect of deformation level, cumulative dissipated energy, and loading history on prestressed concrete beam damage-failure is incorporated, thus it is applicable to stochastic earthquake forces.

Fatigue Damage Modeling for Partially Prestressed Concrete Beams under Repeated Loadings with Variable Amplitude

A full-range nonlinear analysis method for fatigue damage in prestressed concrete beams is presented. New damage accumulation models are proposed to describe the fatigue damage evolution in concrete and reinforcement respectively. Based on the stress analysis for cross section, the stress redistrbution in the fatigue damage process, due to the different damage mechanisms of concrete and reinforcement, is considered. The nonlinear damage analysis is achieved by means of piecewise linearity, and it is applicable on the condition of repeated loadings with variable amplitude. Fatigue damage modeling of a beam is implemented to illustrate that the proposed method can preferably fit the experimental results.

Experimental and analytical studies on the vibration serviceability of long-span prestressed concrete floor

An extensive experimental and theoretical research study was undertaken to study the vibration serviceability of a long-span prestressed concrete floor system to be used in the lounge of a major airport.Specifically,jumping impact tests were carried out to obtain the floor’s modal parameters,followed by an analysis of the distribution of peak accelerations.Running tests were also performed to capture the acceleration responses.The prestressed concrete floor was found to have a low fundamental natural frequency（≈8.86 Hz）corresponding to the average modal damping ratio of≈2.17%.A coefficients plate with simply-supported edges.The calculated analytical results（natural frequencies and root-mean-square acceleration）agree well with the experimental ones.The analytical approach is thus validated.

Structural Behavior of Continuous Prestressed Steel Fiber Reinforced High Strength Concrete Beam

The flexural behaviors of continuous fully and partially prestressed steel fiber reinforced high strength concrete beams are studied by experiment and nonlinear finite element analysis. Three levels of partial prestress ratio （PPR） are considered, and three pairs of two-span continuous beams with box sections varying in size are designed. The major parameters involved in the study include the PPR and the fiber location. It is concluded that the prestressed high strength concrete beam exhibits satisfactory ductility; the influences of steel fiber on the crack behaviors for partially prestressed beams are not as obvious as those for fully prestressed ones; steel fibers can improve the structural stiffness after cracking for fully prestressed high strength concrete beams; the moment redistribution from mid-span to intermediate support in the first stage should be mainly considered in practical design.

Aseismic safety analysis of a prestressed concrete containment vessel for CPR1000 nuclear power plant

Abstract： The containment vessel of a nuclear power plant is the last barrier to prevent nuclear reactor radiation. Aseismic safety analysis is the key to appropriate containment vessel design. A prestressed concrete containment vessel （PCCV） model with a semi-infinite elastic foundation and practical arrangement of tendons has been established to analyze the aseismic ability of the CPR1000 PCCV structure under seismic loads and internal pressure. A method to model the prestressing tendon and its interaction with concrete was proposed and the axial force of the prestressing tendons showed that the simulation was reasonable and accurate. The numerical results show that for the concrete structure, the location of the cylinder wall bottom around the equipment hatch and near the ring beam are critical locations with large principal stress. The concrete cracks occurred at the bottom of the PCCV cylinder wall under the peak earthquake motion of 0.50 g, however the PCCV was still basically in an elastic state. Furthermore, the concrete cracks occurred around the equipment hatch under the design internal pressure of 0.4MPa, but the steel liner was still in the elastic stage and its leak-proof function soundness was verified. The results provide the basis for analysis and design of containment vessels.

Analysis and calculation of factors on curvature ductility of unbonded prestressed concrete beams

In consideration that behavior of curvature ductility of interior support directly influences the degree of moment modification of unbonded prestressed concrete (UPC) continuous structures, constitutive relationships of concrete, non-prestressed reinforcement and prestressed reinforcement used for nonlinear analysis are given. Through simulation analysis on simple beams subjected to single loading at the middle of the span, the law of factors influencing curvature ductility, such as global reinforcing index, prestressing degree, effective prestress, strength of concrete and grade of non-prestressed reinforcement are explored. Based on these researches, calculating formula of curvature ductility coefficient of UPC beams is established, which provides basic data for further research on plastic design of UPC indeterminate structures.

Experimental and theoretical analysis on the natural frequency of external prestressed concrete beams

Analyses and computations of the natural frequencies of external prestressed concrete structures are the bases for studying the dynamic properties of such structures. We carded out dynamic tests on three types of external simply supported beams, pulling the beams gradually. Then vertical loads were applied to the beams while the frequencies and related coefficients were measured at every step. We calculated natural frequencies and the results indicate that natural frequencies increase as the prestressing force rises in the pre-crack stage, and decrease significantly during the post-crack stage. Substantial incoincidences exist between the calculated and experimental results for the frequency and its tendency to changel Based on the experimental results, we modified the stiffness and other parameters in the equations. The results calculated using the modified equations agree with experimental results well, so the modified eauations can be used nractically.

Degradation process assessment of prestressed concrete continuous bridges in life-cycle

To accurately evaluate the degradation process of prestressed concrete continuous bridges exposed to aggressive environments in life-cycle,a finite element-based approach with respect to the lifetime performance assessment of concrete bridges was proposed.The existing assessment methods were firstly introduced and compared.Some essential mechanics problems involved in the degradation process,such as the deterioration of materials properties,the reduction of sectional areas and the variation of overall structural performance caused by the first two problems,were investigated and solved.A computer program named CBDAS(Concrete Bridge Durability Analysis System) was written to perform the above-metioned approach.Finally,the degradation process of a prestressed concrete continuous bridge under chloride penetration was discussed.The results show that the concrete normal stress for serviceability limit state exceeds the threshold value after 60 a,but the various performance indicators at ultimate limit state are consistently in the allowable level during service life.Therefore,in the case of prestressed concrete bridges,the serviceability limit state is more possible to have durability problems in life-cycle;however,the performance indicators at ultimate limit state can satisfy the requirements.

Evaluation of protective quality of prestressed concrete containment buildings of nuclear power plants

The permeability and sorptivity properties of the two prestressed concrete containment buildings （PCCBs） of a nuclear power plant in South China, which had been under operation for 5 years, were measured by using the autoclam permeability system. The air permeability, sorptivity and water permeability indexes of No.1 PCCB are smaller than or equal to 0.11 ln（102 Pa）/min, 0.98×10 ^7 m3/minl/2 and 1.93×10 ^7 m3/min1/2, respectively, and the air permeability, sorptivity and water permeability indexes of No.2 PCCB are smaller than or equal to 0.17 In（102 Pa）/min, 1.6×10 ^7 m3/min1/2 and 4.43 ×10 ^7 m3/min1/2, respectively. Based on the criteria for evaluating the protective quality of concrete structures in terms of their permeability and sorptivity properties, proposed by the research organization of the autoclam permeability system, the protective quality of No. 1 PCCB is still in very good grade and that of No.2 PCCB is not in very good grade but in good grade, and the in-service inspection of the protective quality of No.2 PCCB should be strengthened in the future.

Influences of Installment Tensioning Technology on Bearing Capacity of Rectangular Prestressed Concrete Beam

To obtain the relationship between use of installment tensioning technology and the bearing capacity of prestressed concrete beams, tensile and cyclic loading tests are conducted on five rectangular prestressed concreted specimens. Two types of prestressed tensioning methods are adopted in the tests, one uses installment tensioning technology to tension beams on days 4, 12, and 8, 12, respectively, and the other adopts the conventional method to tension the beam on day 28 only. The age of concrete, number of times tensioned, and the prestress value of early tensioning are considered in tests. Results show that use of installment tensioning technology has no effect on the bending failure pattern of prestressed concrete beams, but it reduces prestress loss and increases crack and yield loads. © 2017, Tianjin University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.