RETRACTED: Fatigue reliability assessment for hangers of a special-shaped CFST arch bridge

Abstract

Abstract The main bridge of the Yingzhou Bridge is a special -shaped concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) arch bridge. As a key load-carrying member, the safety of a hanger affects the service life of arch bridges. This paper presents a comprehensive frame work for fatigue reliability analysis of hangers in CFST arch bridges. A simplified finite element (FE) model is established to satisfy the fatigue analysis accuracy. The mathematical model for traffic flow of the Yingzhou Bridge is simulated using the Monte Carlo method. Then the stress time history of the hanger is calculated. The rain flow counting method is used to obtain the stress range values and the number of cycles. Based on the Miner cumulative damage rule, considering the effect of mean stress, the fatigue reliability for hangers with and without corrosion is calculated using the Monte Carlo Importance Sampling method. It is found that the reliability index of inclined hangers is lower than that of vertical hangers. Inclined hangers have a higher probability of failure earlier. The reliability index of the inclined hanger X3 in the position where the stiffness changes is the lowest, which should be paid greater attention to in daily maintenance. The reliability index of hangers with corrosion is significantly lower than that of hangers without corrosion, and the decline rate of the reliability index is increased with time.