Refined 3D Solar Temperature Field and Effect Simulation of Ultra-High Steel Bridge Pylon

Abstract

In order to accurately calculate the sunshine-induced temperature effect of an ultra-high bridge pylon, a refined numerical simulation model for the 3D bridge temperature field was established based on the proposed automatic sunshine shadow recognition method and pylon-height-related convection modification method. A suspension bridge H-shaped pylon with a height of 280 m was taken as an example, and the temperature field and corresponding thermal stress and deformation were calculated under typical meteorological conditions in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The results show that the maximum temperature differences between the outer surfaces of the pylon can reach 19 °C and 16 °C for north–south walls and east–west walls, respectively, and exceed the recommended value of ±5 °C in the Chinese Specification. The maximum displacements can reach 370 mm and 110 mm at the top of the bridge pylon in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the bridge, respectively. After the modification of the convective coefficient of the outer surfaces with different wind speeds at different pylon heights, the temperature gradually decreased from the top to the bottom of the pylon, with a temperature difference of 8 °C. The significant influence of the sunshine shadow was shown on the temperature field and temperature effect of the bridge pylon. By considering the shadow effect, the maximum temperature difference can reach 12 °C between adjacent sunlit and shaded areas and can reach 14 °C between two pylon columns. A significant mutation of thermal stress existed in the shaded area, and the maximum stress could be reduced by 13 MPa compared with the adjacent sunlit area. Obvious asynchronous deformation was shown between two pylon columns, and the maximum asynchronous displacement at the top of the pylon can reach 18 mm and 45 mm in the longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively.