Conceptual design of long span steel-UHPC composite network arch bridge

Abstract

An innovative half-through network arch bridge with a main span of 470 m was proposed and designed using coarse aggregate ultra-high-performance concrete (CA-UHPC) and steel. To effectively resist the tremendous axial forces, we utilized circular hollow section arch ribs with a CA-UHPC outer layer and an inner steel tube in this proposal. To minimize the bending moment of the arch ribs, we arranged the inclined crossed hangers above the deck and similarly the columns below the deck, connecting the arch ribs with the main girder, and adopting a structural system of double-hinged arches. By incorporating the recently developed multi-material bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization method and through various parametric studies, we determined the best configuration for the bridge. We also used finite element analysis to investigate the corresponding structural responses. The numerical analysis demonstrates that the proposed bridge has excellent mechanical performance in terms of stability, overall structural stiffness, stress, and fatigue strength of each component. A comprehensive comparison between the proposed bridge and the more conventional concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) arch bridge under the same conditions reveals that: the construction-related CO2 emissions of the proposed bridge are significantly lower than those of the CFST bridge, while the economic indicators are slightly better. The proposed bridge is simpler, slenderer, and more elegant. Due to its innovative design, the proposed bridge can overcome a series of problems associated with conventional bridges such as the excessive self-weight of long-span concrete arch bridges, the challenges of welding thick steel plates on all-steel arch bridges and the high cost of these structures, as well as the disadvantages of CFST arch bridges.