Influence analysis of the connective elements failures on the road bridges steel reinforced superstructures service reliability

Abstract

The paper considers the influence issues of connective elements failures, in particular flexible pin stops, on the road bridges steel reinforced superstructures service reliability. The authors have formulated possible criteria for the superstructure failure both for the first and the second groups of limit states, and also developed scenarios of connective elements exclusion from the structures operation, that are modeling the failure of individual connective elements in the operation process. For five finite element models of road bridges steel reinforced superstructures a numerical experiment on modeling of the connective elements exclusion from the operation of the structure was carried out. The calculation results for each scenario and for the partial scenario realization levels were analyzed in terms of possible superstructures failures as a whole. Numerical experiment results have shown that at the exclusion of a separate small group of connective elements increases the maximum stresses in the over-supported beams sections by up to 3 %, and further development of the connective elements disconnection scenario can lead to an increase in stresses by 20 %. It is concluded that for existing steel reinforced superstructures the risk of superstructures failure under normal operating conditions due to disconnection of connective elements is low, even in the case of almost unlikely complete disconnection of all connective elements. Nevertheless, the exclusion from operation of connective elements may be more critical in cases of abnormal bridge structure operation or in cases of significantly lower engineering reserves of the structure in terms of strength and stiffness.