Load‐Bearing Capacity of Support Block for Temporary Bridge Girder End with L‐Shaped Notch

Abstract

AbstractRecently, temporary bridges have been developed to facilitate rescue operations and minimize damage to affected areas. High‐strength bolts are preferred for end‐plate connections to expedite construction, reducing the bolt count. Regarding parts reusability, we propose an I‐girder designed with an L‐shaped notch and a novel support block as a structural member. Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis was conducted to investigate the girder end's buckling behavior and failure mode and to verify the effect of the support block's geometry and bolt arrangement on load‐bearing capacity. The findings indicate that the load‐bearing capacity of the girder end with the support block is equivalent to that of a standard I‐girder end, despite reducing the area of the support block's effective compression area by 40% under shear force and bending moment.