Analysis of Long-Term Observation of Highway Arch Bridge Oparno

Abstract

The paper deals with evaluation of experimental data collected during the Oparno arch bridge construction and with subsequent analysis of the construction process and long-term behavior with regard to rheological properties of concrete. The Oparno valley bridge is composed of two separate concrete arch structures with spans of 135 metres (this is currently the second longest span of concrete arch bridge in the Czech Republic). It was built using cantilever casting technology with temporary cable-stays and auxiliary pylons. The data recorded for this study include detailed geodetic measurement of the bridge structure during construction, along with measured strains and temperatures in the arches. Most of the data was measured during the bridge construction in 2008 and 2009. Data significant for long term behavior of structure are still being collected. Verification of different concrete material models and their suitability for design of arch bridges built by free cantilevering will be a main result of the analysis. On the basis of a detailed comparison of numerical results and measured deflections, strains and temperatures, it is possible to quantify the impact of rheological properties of the material (or their individual input parameters) on the resulting structural behavior. Unlike previous research, the examined structure is made of reinforced concrete (not prestressed) and consists of compact solid section and in the final state it is mainly in compression.