Reliability-based life-cycle cost seismic design optimization of coastal bridge piers with nonuniform corrosion using different materials

Reinforcement corrosion is the main cause of performance deterioration of reinforced concrete(RC)structures.Limited research has been performed to investigate the life-cycle cost(LCC)of coastal bridge piers with nonuniform corrosion using different materials.In this study,a reliability-based design optimization(RBDO)procedure is improved for the design of coastal bridge piers using six groups of commonly used materials,i.e.,normal performance concrete(NPC)with black steel(BS)rebar,high strength steel(HSS)rebar,epoxy coated(EC)rebar,and stainless steel(SS)rebar(named NPC-BS,NPC-HSS,NPC-EC,and NPC-SS,respectively),NPC with BS with silane soakage on the pier surface(named NPC-Silane),and high-performance concrete(HPC)with BS rebar(named HPC-BS).First,the RBDO procedure is improved for the design optimization of coastal bridge piers,and a bridge is selected to illustrate the procedure.Then,reliability analysis of the pier designed with each group of materials is carried out to obtain the time-dependent reliability in terms of the ultimate and serviceability performances.Next,the repair time of the pier is predicted based on the time-dependent reliability indices.Finally,the time-dependent LCCs for the pier are obtained for the selection of the optimal design.

Experimental investigation and flow analysis of clear-water scour around pier and abutment in proximity

Local scour around bridge piers and abutments is one of the most significant causes of bridge failure.Despite a plethora of studies on scour around individual bridge piers or abutments,few studies have focused on the joint impact of a pier and an abutment in proximity to one another on scour.This study conducted laboratory experiments and flow analyses to examine the interaction of piers and abutments and their effect on clear-water scour.The experiments were conducted in a rectangular laboratory flume.They included 18 main tests(with a combination of different types of piers and abutments)and five control tests(with individual piers or abutments).Three pier types(a rectangular pier with a rounded edge,a group of three cylindrical piers,and a single cylindrical pier)and two abutment types(a wingewall abutment and a semicircular abutment)were used.An acoustic Doppler velocimeter was used to measure the three-dimensional flow velocity for analyses of streamline,velocity magnitude,vertical velocity,and bed shear stress.The results showed that the velocity near the pier and abutment increased by up to 80%.The maximum scour depth around the abutment increased by up to 19%.In contrast,the maximum scour depth around the pier increased significantly by up to l71%.The presence of the pier in the vicinity of the abutment led to an increase in the scour hole volume by up to 87%relative to the case with a solitary abutment.Empirical equations were also derived to accurately estimate the maximum scour depth at the pier adjacent to the abutment.

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.

Experimental and numerical study on cyclic behavior of a UHPC-RC composite pier

Conventional reinforced concrete piers are vulnerable to severe compressive damage under strong earthquake conditions and are difficult to quickly rehabilitate.This paper develops a new type of composite pier,consisting of ultra-high-performance concrete(UHPC)and reinforced concrete(RC).This UHPC-RC composite pier uses a UHPC cover outside of an RC core to achieve a high load-carrying capacity and mitigate compressive damage.An experiment is performed to evaluate the performance of the UHPC-RC composite pier under cyclic deformation.The crack development,ultimate failure modes,and load-carrying capacities of the pier are observed.Because of the extraordinary compressive strength of UHPC,the composite pier suffers little compressive damage under large lateral deformations.The composite pier fails as a result of fracturing of the reinforcement.A numerical model is developed to reproduce the cyclic behavior of the composite pier.On the basis of the verified numerical model,a parametric analysis is used to investigate the influence of the thickness of the UHPC cover and the axial load ratio.Finally,an approach is recommended for designing composite piers.

ML and CFD Simulation of Flow Structure around Tandem Bridge Piers in Pressurized Flow

Various regions are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the increased frequency of floods due to the recent changes in climate and precipitation patterns throughout the world.As a result,specific infrastructures,notably bridges,would experience significant flooding for which they were not intended and would be submerged.The flow field and shear stress distribution around tandem bridge piers under pressurized flow conditions for various bridge deck widths are examined using a series of three-dimensional(3D)simulations.It is indicated that scenarios with a deck width to pier diameter(Ld/p)ratio of 3 experience the highest levels of turbulent disturbance.In addition,maximum velocity and shear stresses occur in cases with Ld/p equal to 6.Results indicate that increasing the number of piers from 1 to 2 and 3 results in the increase of bed shear stress by 24%and 20%respectively.Finally,five machine learning algorithms,including Decision Trees(DT),Feed Forward Neural Networks(FFNN),and three Ensemble models,are implemented to estimate the flow field and the turbulent structure.Results indicated that the highest accuracy for estimation of U,and W,were obtained using AdaBoost ensemble with R2=0.946 and 0.951,respectively.Besides,the Random Forest algorithm outperformed AdaBoost slightly in the estimation of V and turbulent kinetic energy(TKE)with R2=0.894 and 0.951,respectively.

Hysteretic behavior of post-tensioned precast segmental CFT double-column piers

Considering the desirable behavior of concrete filled steel tube(CFT)columns and the complicated behavior of segmental double-column piers under cyclic loads,three post-tensioned precast segmental CFT double-column pier specimens were tested to extend their application in moderate and high seismicity areas.The effects of the number of CFT segments and the steel endplates as energy dissipaters on the seismic behavior of the piers were evaluated.The experimental results show that the segmental piers exhibited stable hysteretic behavior with small residual displacements under cyclic loads.All the tested specimens achieved a drift ratio no less than 13%without significant damage and strength deterioration due to the desirable behavior of CFT columns.Since the deformation of segmental columns was mainly concentrated at the column-footing interfaces,the increase of the segment numbers for each column had no obvious effects on the loading capacity but reduced the initial stiffness of the specimens.The use of steel endplates improved the bearing capacity,stiffness and energy dissipation of segmental piers,but weakened their self-centering capacity.Fiber models were also proposed to simulate the hysteretic behavior of the tested specimens,and the influences of segment numbers and prestress levels on seismic behavior were further studied.

Regularity classification and corresponding analysis method requirements of horizontally curved bridges with unequal pier heights

The seismic behavior of horizontally curved bridges,particularly with unequal height piers,is more complicated than that of straight bridges due to their geometric properties.In this study,the seismic responses of several horizontally curved single-column-bent viaducts with various degrees of curvature and different pier heights have been investigated,employing three different analysis approaches:namely,modal pushover analysis,uniform load method,and nonlinear time history analysis.Considering the investigated bridge configurations and utilizing the most common regularity indices,the results indicate that viaducts with 45-degree and 90-degree deck subtended angles can be categorized as regular and moderately irregular,respectively,while the bridges with 180-degree deck subtended angle are found to be highly irregular.Furthermore,the viaducts whose pier heights are asymmetric may be considered as irregular for almost all ranges of the deck subtended angles.The effects of higher transverse and longitudinal modes are discussed and the minimum analysis requirements are identified to assess the seismic response of such bridge configurations for design purposes.Although the Regularity Indices used here are useful tools to distinguish between regular and irregular bridges,further studies are needed to improve their reliability.

Numerical Simulation of the Influence of Water Flow on the Piers of a Bridge for Different Incidence Angles

A two-dimensional mathematical model is used to simulate the influence of water flow on the piers of a bridge for different incidence angles.In particular,a finite volume method is used to discretize the Navier-Stokes control equations and calculate the circumferential pressure coefficient distribution on the bridge piers’surface.The results show that the deflection of the flow is non-monotonic.It first increases and then decreases with an increase in the skew angle.

Ultra-High Performance Concrete: An Advanced Solution for Accelerated Bridge Pier Cap Rehabilitation and Bearing Replacement

The objective of this paper is to propose and illustrate feasibility, approach, validation as per prevailing codes and design standards, specification to rehabilitate bridge pier cap by using Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC). The evaluation of existing pier caps and bearings indicates that the complete removal of existing bearing is undesirable due to 1) massive size of bearing 2) difficulty in cutting through the thick components of existing bearing 3) deeply anchored lower shoe of existing bearings 4) huge cost and time required to erect temporary support system for superstructure to facilitate the construction of new piers. To overcome these difficulties, UHPC could be cast around the lower shoe up to the existing bearing pin. This UHPC cast could be used to support jacks and temporary bearings. The new low height permanent bearing could then be installed after removing the upper shoe of the existing bearing. In the present research, first properties of UHPC are summarized followed by evaluation of case studies to check feasibility of the solution to rehabilitate pier cap by using UHPC. The complex load paths in pier cap are idealized by using validated strut and tie model as per prevailing AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specification.

An Important Film: Polychromy in the Pier Luigi Nervi Halls at the Turin Exhibition Center

Hidden by several layers of white paint,the almost forgotten polychromy of Nervi’s exhibition halls emerges from historical images,not necessarily intended to document the complex,but rather as a setting for exhibitions,fairs or film and advertising sets.Historical documentation reveals Nervi’s presence on the building site and his desire to supervise the finishing phases.The first stratigraphic investigations also testify to his attention color,as well as the subsequent transformations of use.Specific theoretical and technical issues regarding the conservation of the pictorial layers in relation to the conservation of the reinforced concrete elements are outlined.Furthermore,the use of polychromy in combination with the original employment of natural and artificial light sources introduces new facets into the analysis of Nervi’s work,offering the opportunity for original reflection.This is particularly true if we consider the impact of the interventions carried out so far,even those considered non-invasive,such as routine maintenance operations and some technological upgrades.

PIER模式在落实大学英语视听说教学课程思政中的应用研究——以《新视野大学英语视听说教程(思政智慧版)》为例

大学英语视听说教学是大学英语教学至关重要的一部分,但对其课程思政的研究还有待完善,本研究以《新视野大学英语视听说教程(思政智慧版)》为抓手,通过深挖教材寻找大学英语视听说教学课程思政的切入点,讨论了PIER模式在视听说课程思政育人中的应用。大学英语视听说课程思政应当以教材为切入点,PIER模式实现了大学英语视听说教学过程与育人过程浑然天成,使学生在习得语言技能的同时收获德育教育。

河道斜交桥梁壅水及流场特性分析

圆端桥墩是平原河道内一种常见的桥墩型式,为探究斜交圆端桥墩不同布置方式引起的壅水特性和水流流态变化,建立三维数值模型,采用SIMPLE算法耦合k-ε紊流模型求解N-S方程组,应用VOF法追踪自由液面,分析了单个桥墩壅水特性、绕流流场和升阻力系数随斜交角度变化的规律。研究结果表明:下游墩前壅水高度最大,壅水长度最长,上游墩前冲高值最大;水流绕流经过上游桥墩后偏向下游桥墩侧,桥墩垂直桥轴线布置方式绕流形成的壅水叠加效应更明显;斜交桥梁布置采取圆端桥墩时,桥墩顺水流布置,可有效减小阻水宽度与壅水高度,弱化流场结构变化。

台阶式沉井等效墩宽计算方法探究

桥梁工程中存在形状各异的桥墩,在研究不同截面桥墩的局部冲刷特性时,桥墩尺寸的定量描述非常重要。以台阶式沉井结构为研究对象,梳理并分析了国内外相关等效桥墩宽度计算方法,发现各类公式本质上为计算不同条件下的桥墩平均阻水宽度。开展了台阶式沉井局部冲刷试验研究,基于试验数据对比分析了各类等效墩宽计算方法的计算结果,发现Melville和Raudkivi的等效墩宽计算公式能够较好地估算考虑动床条件下台阶式沉井的平均阻水宽度;进一步收集了国内外193组台阶式沉井类结构的局部冲刷试验数据,数据集统计分析结果显示Melville和Randkivi的等效墩宽计算公式能够较为准确且保守地量化大多数台阶式沉井类结构的截面非均匀性;最后基于数据集冲深墩宽比统计结果对该公式近似方法的合理性进行了讨论。

基于新的改进Bouc-Wen模型的预制RC桥墩滞回模型研究

Bouc-Wen-Baber-Noori(BWBN)模型是改进的Bouc-Wen模型。BWBN模型可以较好地描述钢筋混凝土结构在强震作用下的捏缩效应,但由于BWBN模型中“捏缩效应”函数复杂且参数较多,其计算效率较低。针对该问题,该文基于近似狄拉克δ函数构建更简单、高效的“捏缩效应”函数,进而提出了新的改进Bouc-Wen(MBW)模型,它可以用更少的参数来实现捏缩效应。基于预制RC桥墩的拟静力试验数据来验证MBW模型的有效性,利用MATLAB遗传算法工具箱对BWBN模型和MBW模型进行参数识别,结果表明,该文提出的MBW模型具有更高的计算精度。

桥墩受侧向撞击作用下静力简化分析方法

为了深入探究钢筋混凝土桥墩受侧向撞击时的静力简化方法,基于桥墩受撞击作用与静力作用下产生的侧向变形效应相等,建立了桥墩弯曲应变能和剪切应变能的计算公式.针对不同截面形式和不同约束条件下的桥墩模型,分别得出了桥墩在正弦、三角形和矩形撞击荷载波形作用下的等效撞击力简化公式,并分析了撞击力峰值和等效值之间的关系.结果表明:当矩形截面桥墩撞击点距墩底距离与截面长度的比值小于3.7,或圆形截面桥墩撞击点距墩底距离与截面半径的比值小于6.2时,需充分考虑桥墩剪切应变能的影响;荷载波形对等效撞击力取值影响较大,当撞击荷载波形接近正弦、三角形和矩形波时,等效撞击力系数的建议值分别为0.64、0.52和0.91.研究结果可为桥墩等效撞击力取值提供参考依据.

特大桥高墩施工技术分析

为了深入研究特大桥高墩施工技术,以银昆高速太彭段LJ08-2标段为例,重点分析了特大桥高墩施工的实施要点和成效。针对特大桥高墩施工的关键环节和难点,采取了有效的施工措施方法。实践表明,采用大块定型钢模板(翻模)作为特大桥高墩成型的手段,同时把控好模板吊装及混凝土浇筑,并做好高墩线形控制,能够高效完成特大桥高墩的施工并实现质量验收100%的目标,为企业节约成本12.48万元,既保证了特大桥高墩的施工进度和安全,也实现了良好的经济效益和社会效益,对类似工程具有参考价值和应用指导意义。

考虑端部形状影响的矩形桥墩局部冲刷试验研究

文章以宽度相同、长度不同的矩形桥墩为研究对象,考虑矩形、圆端形、三角尖形3种典型端部形状,在铺设10 cm等厚定级配沙的矩形长直水槽内进行不同流速下桥墩局部冲刷室内试验,量测不同时刻桥墩周边测点流场、墩周冲刷坑深度等参数,结合基本理论对桥梁基础局部冲刷进行研究。结果表明:圆端形和三角尖形端部桥墩墩前下降水流和墩周马蹄形涡流强度较矩形端部小;在相同条件下,圆端形端部桥墩最大冲刷坑深度相对于矩形端部桥墩减小34.9%,而三角尖形端部桥墩最大冲刷坑深度相对于矩形端部桥墩减小66.7%;在保证矩形桥墩长宽比L/B≥2的前提下,当弗劳德数Fr≤0.111时L/B越小,墩周冲刷破坏程度越小,而当0.148≤Fr≤0.185时则相反。根据河道不同流速合理选择墩型,能够更好地预防冲刷破坏。试验结果可为桥墩局部冲刷设计提供参考。

深厚软土区桩柱式桥墩临界荷载简化计算方法

现有桩柱式桥墩临界荷载简化计算方法在大多数情况下计算误差较大,适用性有限.在利用软土区现场桩基屈曲实验结果标定的基础上,采用基于特征值屈曲分析的有限元方法对有典型桩柱式桥墩的临界荷载进行了计算并与现有简化计算方法结果进行了对比,指出了现有简化计算方法的适用范围,发现现有简化方法不适用于软土区桩柱式桥墩计算.在大量桩柱式桥墩有限元特征值屈曲分析数据的基础上,采用随机森林算法对计算结果进行分析,得到可以计算桩柱式桥墩计算长度的随机森林模型以及各影响参数重要性指数分析结果.最后以现常用简化公式为基本形式,纳入随机森林算法给出的重要参数,通过回归分析,提出了深厚软土区桩柱式桥墩临界荷载的简化计算方法.

桥墩倾斜方向对自浮式防撞装置防护效果影响研究

随着航道上大跨度桥梁的建设愈加广泛,其桥墩在水面附近往往具有一定的倾斜角度。为研究桥墩倾斜方向对自浮式防撞装置防护效果的影响,文章基于装备自浮式防撞装置的2种倾斜方向的桥墩与6000DWT级散货船为研究对象进行非线性有限元仿真碰撞计算,分析桥墩倾斜方向对不同航速船舶撞击下桥墩撞击力、系统能量转换、船艏结构破坏的影响。结果表明:外倾式桥墩受到撞击力更小,其防撞装置通过变形吸收能量更多、防护效果更好。研究成果可为大跨度桥墩设计与防撞装置的开发提供重要的参考价值。

基于DEM-FEM耦合方法的碎屑流对桥墩最大冲击力的影响因素研究

碎屑流是我国山区最危险的地质灾害之一,山区桥墩常受到碎屑流冲击而开裂、倾斜甚至倒塌,给山区桥梁建设、运营带来严重的安全隐患。采用离散元方法(discrete element method,DEM)和有限元方法(finite element method,FEM)耦合的三维数值模拟方法模拟了碎屑流对双柱式桥墩的冲击效应,并结合斜槽试验,验证了耦合方法的准确性,进一步分析了碎屑流冲击坡度、距离和体积密度对桥墩冲击力的影响规律。结果表明,最大冲击力与碎屑流冲击坡度、距离和体积密度分别呈幂函数(指数大于1)、幂函数(指数小于1)和线性正相关。冲击坡度、距离和体积密度对最大冲击力的敏感度值分别为3.012、0.202、0.804,在桥梁碎屑流灾害防治时需重视冲击坡度和体积密度的影响。将冲击力的数值模拟值与流体动力学模型预测值对比分析表明,流体动力学模型理论公式能较好地预测桥墩所受的最大冲击力,最大预测误差低于23.6%。相关研究结果可为山区桥梁碎屑流灾害防治与设计提供一定的参考依据。