Finite strip analysis of multi-span box girder bridges by using non-periodic B-spline interpolation

Abstract

A multi-span bridge has the peak value of resultant girder moment or membrane stress at the interior support. In this paper, the spline finite strip method (FSM) is modified to obtain the more appropriate solution at the interior support where the peak values of solution exist. The modification has been achieved by expressing the shape function with non-periodic B-splines which have multiple knots at the boundary. The modified B-splines have the useful feature for interpolating the curve with sudden change in curvature. Moreover, the modified spline FSM is very efficient in analyzing multi-span box girder bridges, since a bridge can be modeled by an assembly of strips extended along the entire bridge length. Numerical examples of the bridge analysis have been performed to verify the efficiency and accuracy of the new spline FSM.