Composite Plate Girders Research Articles

Experiment and Analysis of a Hybrid Composite Post-tension Plate Girder

Steel plate girders have been employed as structural bridge parts since the 19th century. They are typically made up of built-up sections in the shape of I-beams. Web and flange plates withstand shear force and bending moment, respectively. However, plate girders are vulnerable to shear buckling. Shear buckling resistance is increased by adding reinforced vertical stiffeners and, in some cases, longitudinal stiffeners. Nevertheless, these stiffeners are sometimes not enough to prevent extreme shear buckling and only delay the shear buckling of slender web panels. This study investigated a hybrid composite post-tension (HCPt) plate girder by experiment and finite element (FE) analysis. The structural performance of the HCPt plate girder was tested using three specimens: a double-web plate girder, an in-fill concrete double-web plate girder and an in-fill concrete double-web plate girder with prestress. Results showed that the steel web filled with concrete presented preferable strength and behaviour to the hollow steel web because of the concrete in-fill. It had high load capacity, strength and ductility. The concrete in-fill prevented the steel web plate from buckling, and beams generally failed in a ductile manner. Applying prestressing techniques reduced deflection under external loads, increased the load-carrying capacity and enhanced its flexural behaviour by 126% compared to the double web plate girder. The failure mode was changed from web shear buckling in a double web girder to bending in a hybrid composite plate girder, with an improvement of web shear buckling by 88%. The FE analysis result showed excellent consistency with the experimental result.

Theoretical evaluation of tapered composite plate girders subjected to shear loads

The behavior of prismatic composite steel plate girders subjected to shear loads was thoroughly investigated, and different theories were evaluated. However, the behavior of tapered composite plate girders with and without openings has not yet been investigated. Therefore, this paper presents a new method for predicting the ultimate capacity of tapered composite plate girders subjected to shear loads. The shear capacities of tapered composite plate girders with and without web openings were developed based on the classical theory of tension-field action for prismatic composite plate girders. It is assumed that the shear capacity of such girders can be predicted from the steel plate girder and reinforced concrete slab anchored using shear studs. The effect of the composite action on the top flange owing to the shear studs was considered in the derivation of the equations to calculate the shear capacity of the steel plate girders. In addition, the shape and size of the opening were also considered. The proposed method was verified by comparing the results of the shear capacity with experimental results from previous studies. It can be concluded that the proposed method can predict the shear capacities of tapered composite plate girders with solid and open webs with acceptable accuracy.

Evaluation on structural performance of hybrid composite post-tension plate girder through finite element analysis

ABSTRACT Plate girders are typically formed by the built-up of I-shaped plates. It is vulnerable and weak in resisting buckling. In this study, FE analysis models were developed to evaluate the flexural performance of a hybrid composite post-tension (HCPt) plate girder. The HCPt plate girder is made of double-web and in-fill concrete with pre-stressed tendon to prevent shear web buckling and improve flexural resistance. The sensitivity of design parameters to the performance of the girder was also investigated through a parametric study using four different configurations. The selected parameters are span length, steel grade, concrete grade, and level of pre-stressed force. The statistical analysis was performed using linear multiple regression model to predict the girder’s flexural load and displacement. The results showed that web shear buckling was eliminated for models with in-fill concrete and pre-stressed tendon and failed by bending. Failure of the girder with double web was demonstrated by the combination of bending and web shear buckling. The concrete in-fill prevents the web plate from buckling and the beams generally fail in bending with high ductility. The load capacity of the hybrid composite plate girders with pre-stressing improved by 76% and 44% compared to conventional single-web plate girders and double-web plate girders, respectively.

Performance of Composite Plate Girder Bridges with Full-Depth Precast Concrete Deck Systems

Performance of Composite Plate Girder Bridges with Full-Depth Precast Concrete Deck Systems

The performance of tapered composite plate girders loaded in shear: An experimental and numerical investigation

Composite non-prismatic girders have been used in modern bridges worldwide. Experimental and theoretical studies were performed to investigate prismatic steel plate girders. However, research on evaluating the behavior of tapered composite plate girders is limited. This study examines the ultimate shear capacity of tapered composite plate girders. Five large-scale girders, one prismatic and four tapered, were tested under a single-point load at midspan to determine their ultimate shear capacity and shear failure mechanism. The taper angles (0°, 5°, 10°, and 15°) and web openings were considered. The failure mode of the tapered plates was also studied. In addition, a numerical simulation was performed to evaluate the influence of the shape and size of the web openings on the shear capacity of the tapered composite plate girders. The results indicated that the taper angles significantly affected the stiffness and ultimate load of the girders. The magnitude of the maximum drop in the shear capacity of the taper degree of 15° was approximately 18.7%. It was also observed that the web opening decreased the capacity of the girder because the rigidity of the web decreased. The decrease in strength of the girder with web opening was 27% compared with the strength of the sold web. Moreover, the validity of the developed finite element (FE) models was verified using corresponding experimental specimens. The results indicate that the FE model can predict the ultimate shear capacity of the tapered composite plate girders.

Numerical Modeling of Steel‐Concrete Composite Girders Exposed to Web Shear Buckling

AbstractAssessment of the structural behaviour of steel and steel‐concrete composite plate girders exposed to web shear buckling is essential when it comes to their implementation involving heavy loads and/or long spans. In this paper, numerical model of a benchmark steel‐concrete composite girder capable of capturing this phenomenon has been developed using the ABAQUS software. The developed finite element model, based on a series of large‐scale girders planned to be tested in the future, has been evaluated and elaborated on. That includes the implementation of appropriate analysis procedures, element types and contact behaviour in the study of the post‐critical buckling behaviour of steel and steel‐concrete composite plate girders. The advantages and disadvantages as well as recommendations for the future use of the investigated modelling strategies have been scrutinized. In the end, this study demonstrates the parameters with the most significant influence on the structural behaviour of composite girders exposed to shear loading.

Loading test of full-scale composite plate girder with partial encasing

Plate girders have been extensively studied to propose improved or updated configurations for coping with instability as well as constructability problems. Yet, this study introduces a new configuration of the composite plate girder which encases the upper part of the steel plate girder in the concrete slab and the trimming of the upper outer corner of the vertical stiffeners to accommodate temporary cross-beams during the erection and ease the installation of forms without the need of propping. Rather than using corrugated webs, the proposed girder utilizes only flat plates to simplify its fabrication and allow camber to be provided through an automated manufacturing process so that high quality standards can be achieved. The proposed configuration has enough flexural buckling strength with minimum horizontal stiffeners and only 2 plate thicknesses, which promotes purchase efficiency of the steel plate and accelerates production of the girder. A 51 m-long full-scale composite plate girder was fabricated and subjected to fatigue test up to 2 million cycles followed by ultimate strength test. The prototype remained sound beyond the ultimate limit state and did not suffer any noticeable damage or loss of flexural rigidity until the end of the test. A finite element model was also established to overcome the limitations of the test facility and validate the design of the composite girder. The comparison of the experimental and analytical results revealed good agreement and demonstrated remarkable fatigue resistance. The proposed composite plate girder satisfied sufficiently the relevant design requirements.

Bivariate structural-fire fragility curves for simple-span overpass bridges with composite steel plate girders

This study demonstrates the development of bivariate fragility curves for a fire-exposed simple-span overpass bridge prototype with composite steel plate girders. The fire and resulting heat transfer to the girders are modeled using the computationally efficient Modified Discretized Solid Flame (MDSF) model, developed previously by the authors. Several input parameters to model the thermo-structural response of the girders (particularly the material strength and applied loading) are stochastically selected for Monte Carlo Simulation via Latin Hypercube Sampling. The thermo-structural response of the composite steel girders is calculated using uncoupled, reduced-form finite element analyses. The structural-fire response of the prototype bridge girder is iteratively calculated for a large suite (∼1,000 iterations) of fire scenarios and then categorized into escalating damage levels based on the maximum deflection reached during the fire event. The damage from each fire scenario is correlated to two measures of fire hazard intensity: the peak heat release rate, and the total thermal energy imparted along the girder span. Bivariate fragility curves that correlate the two intensity measures to each damage level via a cumulative normal distribution function are obtained for the prototype bridge with span length varying from 12.2 to 42.7 m. An illustrative example uses these fragility curves to assess fire-induced damage for the two overpass spans in the MacArthur Maze interchange in Oakland, CA that collapsed due to a 2007 tanker truck fire.

Perforated Composite Plate Girders with Intermediate Inclined Stiffeners Subjected to Combined Shear and Bending

This paper discusses the ultimate strength of composite plate girders with intermediate inclined stiffeners. The inclination angle of intermediate stiffener, web opening size and span length are the key factors influencing the performance of the composite plate girder. This study used the LUSAS software to develop 20 non-linear finite element models using intermediate stiffener different inclination angles, web opening sizes and span lengths. The intermediate stiffener have an inclination angle of 90°, 75°, 60°, 45° and 30°. The web plates were divided into six or eight sub-panel webs depending on the span length using the intermediate inclined stiffener. The ultimate strength and behaviour of the composite plates are influenced by the inclination angle of the intermediate stiffener, web opening size and span length. Generally, the ultimate strength of the composite plate girder increased when the inclination angle was reduced from 90° to 30° with a corresponding reduction in the web opening size and span length. The increase in the ultimate strength are 44.63% for the web plate with do = 100 mm and L = 3450 mm, 20.41% for the web plate with do = 200 mm and L = 4500 mm, 216.41% for the web plate with do = 100 mm and L = 3450 mm, and 58.89% for the web plate with do = 200 mm and L = 4500 mm due to the formation of tension field on the web panels. The width of the tension field in the plastic hinge increased and shifted depending on the top and bottom flange when using the intermediate inclined stiffener. The composite plate girder with a small web opening of do = 100 mm exhibited a high ultimate strength. The ultimate strength of the composite plate girder with a 60° inclined intermediate stiffener is higher than the intermediate stiffener with a 75° inclination angle. Therefore, the composite plate girder with an inclined intermediate stiffener has a higher ultimate strength.

A Review of Composite Steel Plate Girders with Corrugated Webs

A corrugated steel plate girder is a vastly used structural element in numerous fields of application due to its many favorable characteristics. A corrugated web girder, the bending moments, and application forces are only transferred by means of flanges, that the maximum moment carrying capacity is more than any other hot-rolled sections used, while transverse shear forces are only transmitted through a corrugated steel web, webs at a greater depth to a thickness ratio are usually used resulting in slender sections that are susceptible to buckling on the Flat web. The use of corrugated web girders has been increasing in recent years due to optimizations in the automated manufacturing process of corrugated steel webs and a decrease in weight. Thus, to avoid buckling on the web and to obtain maximum strength, corrugations are provided in the area on the web. Corrugated steel plate girder’s ability to be used in numerous fields of application due to its preferred properties. The main advantage of the corrugated web plate girders over the hot rolled girders is the flexibility in the dimensions of the girder. Improvement in the plate girders is essential to take full advantage of this asset. This new achievement has helped engineers to design more optimized structures. This paper provides a review of several studies on corrugated steel web plate girders and plate girders improvement.

Light Live load Bridges over the River Nile in Sudan

Bridge structures are vital for majority of Sudanese due to the fact that they live besides rivers, valleys and inside islands. Bridge construction is faced by the fact that it is extremely expensive. Cost of such structures is affected by live load which accordingly dictates the required dead Loads from both superstructure and substructure. In this analytical study a light live bridge load is derived making use of AASHTO principles. This practical live load is derived from data collected from sedan cars, bicycles, motorcycles, motorcycles rickshaws, auto rickshaws and pedestrian. The derivation yielded a design light live load composed of design lane load and design vehicle; to be applied simultaneously to this type of light bridges. The live loads are to be controlled at the bridge entrance. The derived loads are applied to different superstructures' systems, namely steel truss and composite steel plate girder. A single pier over two piles substructure system is chosen for such light loads. A case study bridge is designed over the River Nile. The results obtained showed tremendous savings in material and cost. Relative to normal highway bridges over the Nile, the steel truss bridge option reduces the cost by almost 60%.

The ultimate shear capacity of longitudinally stiffened steel-concrete composite plate girders

This paper presents the ultimate shear strength of longitudinally stiffened steel-concrete composite plate girders (LS-CPGs) under shear loading. The tension field action in the girder web, shear capacity of concrete slab, and the position of longitudinal stiffeners are considered in driving an analytical method to predict the ultimate shear strength of the girder. The accuracy of the proposed method is evaluated by finite-element (FE) models. A three-dimensional FE model has been generated, considering both the geometric and material nonlinearity of LS-CPGs. The results show that longitudinal stiffeners increase the ultimate shear strength of LS-CPG. The comparison between the analytical and corresponding FE results shows that the proposed analytical method can accurately predict the ultimate shear strength of LS-CPGs.

Shear Strengthening of Composite Concrete Steel Plate Girders with Web Openings Using Steel Strips

The study aims to investigate behaviour plus influence on the final load resistance of strengthen girders containing openings in web which were 40% of web height. This paper presents an experimental study of applying of five steel-concrete composite plate girder specimens that were loaded in shear predominantly. Three of those girders were considered as control girders, without web openings, containing circular web holes, and containing square web holes, respectively. Other two girders were strengthen girders. The slab reinforcement, dimensions of girders and compressive strength of concrete slabs were constant. Strengthening was made by using steel rings and strips which were welded to webs of strengthen girders to investigate influence of strengthening plan by steel welding on behaviour and final load strength for these girders. Findings illustrate increasing in final load strength of strengthen girders with circular and square web holes with about 57.38% and 43.75%, respectively in comparing to that for control girders. Moreover, the final shear capacity for the tested girders was also compared with that predicted by von Mises stresses.

SHEAR STRENGTH OF STEEL‐CONCRETE COMPOSITE PLATE GIRDERS – A REVIEW

ResumeThe shear strength of slender steel‐concrete composite plate girders is usually evaluated through one of the several design methods proposed in the last 50 years, taking into consideration the steel girders shear strength only. Although for composite girders the concrete slab may increase the shear strength, this contribution is not considered in these methods. But, the shear strength of steel‐concrete composite plate girders can be assessed by means of two recent proposed methods. The results from design methods are compared with experimental tests data.

Investigation on the Collapse Behavior of Diagonal Stiffened Composite Plate Girders Subjected to Shear Loading

In this study, a new analytical method is presented to estimate the shear capacity of diagonally stiffened steel–concrete composite plate girders. This method is formulated based on tension field action in steel girder web and failure mechanism of concrete slab deck. To validate the accuracy of the proposed method, the obtained results are compared with three-dimensional finite element analysis of composite plate girders with different configuration of stiffeners. The results of analytical and numerical investigations indicate that the proposed method can accurately estimate the ultimate shear capacity of composite plate girders. In addition, it is shown that the diagonal stiffeners on one hand can reduce the buckling effects of shear panel of girders and on the other hand can increase the strength of elastic shear buckling and ultimate shear capacity of girders well in comparison with the unstiffened thin steel plate girders.

Kelakuan Beban Muktamad Galang Plat Komposit Keluli-Konkrit dengan Pengukuh Condong

This paper focuses on the ultimate load behaviour of steel-concrete composite plate girders with inclined stiffeners. For this research, non-linear modelling and analyses were carried out on ten simply supported composite plate girders using a commercial finite element software, LUSAS. The girders are of practical design size and subjected to a single concentrated load applied at the centre of the girder span. Effects of different inclination angles of intermediate stiffeners and web-depth to thickness (d/t) ratios on the post-buckling behaviour of the girders are investigated. Five different angles of stiffeners, measured from the bottom flange, were considered in the research, viz., 90°, 75°, 60°, 45° and 30° while the web thickness, tw used in this study are 2 mm and 3 mm. With the effects of such inclinations, the variations of ultimate load, load-deflection response and failure characteristics were obtained. The load carrying capacity was found to rise significantly of about 32%, as the angle of inclination reduced from 90° to 30°. The ultimate strength of the composite girder also shows a maximum increase of 28%, when the web thickness, tw rises from 2 mm to 3 mm.

EFFECT OF CORRUGATION PANEL WIDTH OF COMPOSITE PLATE GIRDERS WITH CORRUGATED TRIANGULAR WEB

this paper is concerned with composite plate girders with triangular corrugated webs. Finite element analysis using the computer package ABAQUS is employed to investigate the behavior and ultimate strength capacity of the girder. Parameters that affect the behavior of these girders are slenderness of the web d/t, web panel aspect ratio b/d, width to the depth of corrugation ratio bh/h. Influence of these parameters on the collapse behavior is examined. Results are obtained in terms of ultimate strength, failure mechanism and load–deflection curves from the finite element analyses and, some typical results are presented herein.

Positive bending capacity prediction of composite girders based on elastoplastic cross-sectional analysis

This paper investigates the positive bending moment capacity of composite plate girders with various geometric parameters as well as a wide range of concrete slab strengths and steel girder strengths. The elastoplastic cross-sectional analysis method is adopted to efficiently evaluate the positive bending capacity of the composite girder. The constitutive model of the steel girder is specified by a trilinear stress–strain relationship incorporating the strain hardening effect while the concrete slab based on the parabola-rectangle model. A large number of composite sections, which could represent the conventional cross-section of composite plate girders with medium spans, are designed along with various combinations of material strengths. For each composite section, its actual ultimate bending capacity and rigid plastic bending capacity are calculated and compared mutually. The analysis results indicate that the position of the plastic neutral axis has a significant effect on the ratio of the ultimate bending capacity to the rigid plastic bending capacity. The lower position of the plastic neutral axis locates, the more overestimate of the rigid plastic analysis method to predict the ultimate bending capacity. Besides, the yield strength of the steel girder also has an apparent effect on the ratio, of which the higher yield strength of the steel girder could lead to a lower ratio, while the concrete slab compressive strength has less influence on the ratio. The equation of predicting the ultimate bending capacity of the composite plate girder is proposed, in which a bending capacity reduction factor is introduced depending on the strength grade of the steel girder.

The Evaluation of Axial Stress in Continuous Welded Rails via Three-Dimensional Bridge–Track Interaction

The crucial differences between conventional rail with split-type connectors and continuous welded rails are axial stress in the longitudinal direction and stability, as well as other issues generated under the influence of loading effects. Longitudinal stresses generated in continuously welded rails on railway bridges are strongly influenced by the nonlinear behavior of the supporting system comprising sleepers and ballasts. Thus, the track structure interaction cannot be neglected. The rail-support system mentioned above has properties of non-uniform material distribution and uncertainty of construction quality. The linear elastic hypothesis therefore cannot correctly evaluate the stress distribution within the rails. The aim of this study is to apply the nonlinear finite element method using the nonlinear coupling interface between the track and structural model and to illustrate the welded rail behavior under the loading effect and uncertain factors of the ballast. Numerical results of nonlinear finite analysis with a three-dimensional solid and frame element model are presented for a typical track–bridge system. A composite plate girder, modeled by solid and shell elements, is also analyzed to consider the behavior of the welded rail. The analysis result showed buckling under the independent calculations of load cases, including ‘temperature change’, ‘bending of the supporting structure’, and ‘braking’ of the railway vehicle. A parametric study of the load combination method and the loading sequence is also included in this analysis.

Negative bending capacity prediction of composite girders based on continuous strength method

This paper investigates the ultimate negative bending capacity of composite plate girders, whose ultimate hogging flexural state is governed by the local buckling of the bottom flange of steel girders. The Continuous Strength Method, a deformation-based design approach, which employs a continuous relationship between cross-sectional slenderness and inelastic local buckling deformation capacity, is adopted to accurately predict the ultimate negative bending capacity of composite plate girders. A large number of composite cross-sections, which could represent the conventional cross-section of composite plate girder bridges with medium spans, are designed along with various combinations of steel girder strengths and rebar strengths. For each composite cross-section, its ultimate negative bending capacity based on CSM, ultimate elastic bending capacity, and rigid plastic bending capacity are calculated and compared mutually. Both linear and quadratic interpolation equations are proposed for simplifying the negative bending capacity prediction of the composite section. The analysis results indicate that the linear interpolation bending capacity predicting equation can produce relatively conservative results for most Class 2 and Class 3 cross-sections but the equation is quite concise for application. The quadratic interpolation bending capacity predicting equation can offer more accurate results, especially for cross-sections of which the bottom flange governs the ultimate elastic flexural state rather than the rebar in concrete slabs. The rebar in concrete slabs, the top flange and bottom flange of steel girders are supposed to enter into yield state simultaneously for improving the elastic negative bending efficiency of the composite section. Meanwhile, the proposed quadratic interpolation equation could also provide an accurate negative bending capacity prediction.