Steel Truss Arch Research Articles

Fatigue Evaluation of Steel Truss Arch Bridge Based on Traffic Load Simulation Using Weigh-in-Motion Data: Case Study of Rumpiang Bridge

The aim of this study was to evaluate the fatigue life of Rumpiang Bridge in Barito Kuala Regency, South Kalimantan, which features a 200-meter-long steel truss arch structure. Fatigue evaluation was performed by referencing the AASHTO Manual for Bridge Evaluation 2018 and the provisions in RSNI T-03-2005 and using the cumulative fatigue damage method. Actual traffic loads based on weigh-in-motion (WIM) data obtained from Prof. Dr. Ir. Sutami Road in Lebak Regency, Banten over a seven-day period were simulated using structural modeling in MIDAS Civil 2022. The results indicated that Rumpiang Bridge is susceptible to fatigue failure, due to a cross-girder element experiencing a maximum stress range of 171.30 MPa and an effective stress range of 75.31 MPa. The current accumulated fatigue damage is 0.179, with an estimated remaining fatigue life of 16 years. This relatively short remaining life is primarily due to 35.02% of vehicles recorded in the WIM data being overloaded. Implementation of traffic restrictions can extend the fatigue life of the bridge. After conducting various weight restriction scenarios, it was found that a restriction with a maximum vehicle load of 26 tons would result in a fatigue life that exceeds the design life of the bridge.

Numerical Study on the Mechanical Performance of a Flexible Arch Composite Bridge with Steel Truss Beams over Its Entire Lifespan

Steel truss–arch composite bridge systems are widely used in bridge engineering to provide sufficient space for double lanes. However, a lack of research exists on their mechanical performance throughout their lifespan, resulting in uncertainties regarding bearing capacity and the risk of bridge failure. This paper conducts a numerical study of the structural mechanical performance of a flexible arch composite bridge with steel truss beams throughout its lifespan to determine the critical components and their mechanical behavior. Critical vehicle loads are used to assess the bridge’s mechanical performance. The results show that the mechanical performance of the bridge changes significantly when the temporary piers and the bridge deck pavement are removed, substantially influencing the effects of the vehicle loads on the service life. The compressive axial force of the diagonal bar significantly increases to 33,101 kN near the supports during the two construction stages, and the axial force in the upper chord of the midspan increases by 4.1 times under a critical load. Moreover, the suspender tensions and maximum vertical displacement are probably larger than the limit of this bridge system in the service stage, and this is caused by the insufficient longitudinal bending stiffness of truss beams. Therefore, monitoring and inspection of critical members are necessary during the removal of temporary piers and bridge deck paving, and an appropriate design in steel truss beams is required to improve the life cycle assessment of this bridge system.

Construction alignment and closure control of CFST truss arch bridges based on temperature effect

To reveal the temperature deformation laws and achieve the accurate alignment prediction during the installation process of long-span concrete-filled steel tubular arch bridge ribs in complex environments, this paper establishes a three-dimensional refined heat transfer model for temperature field and effect calculation of truss arch ribs. The model uses the Ray Tracing Technology to recognize the member-caused-shading area on arch ribs. And by comparing with the actual measurement results and shadow effects to achieve the accurate calculation of temperature field. Finally, the variation of ribs deformation during construction and the optimal closure time are detailed analyzed. Results show that the computational method used in this paper can achieve accurate recognition of shadows and precise calculation of the complex three-dimensional temperature field of truss arch ribs. After considering the shadows, the maximum temperature difference between the upper chord sunshine area and lower chord shadow areas can reach 25 °C, which is significantly greater than 8 ℃ in the "Specifications for design of highway concrete-filled steel tubular arch bridge" (JTG/T D65–06-2015). Due to the solar incidence variation along the longitudinal direction of the arch ribs, extreme temperature fluctuation of the chord tubes occurs, with a maximum temperature difference of 21 °C. When arch ribs reach the maximum cantilever, the daily vertical displacement variation can reach approximately 87 mm, and the maximum displacement difference between arch ribs of two canyon sides can reach 15.6 mm at the same time. The solar-caused maximum compressive stress is 34 MPa, which can exceed 100 MPa after superimposing the gravity and cable effects. Based on the analysis of the displacement of both sides of the closure joint under the influence of sunlight, this paper identifies the window period for the closure control of the long-span steel truss arch ribs, laying the foundation for the accurate control of the rib construction alignment and the closure internal force state.

Reasonable Completed State and Parameter Analysis of a Double-Deck Steel Truss Arch Bridge

Reasonable Completed State and Parameter Analysis of a Double-Deck Steel Truss Arch Bridge

Numerical simulation analysis of construction of steel truss arch bridge with in-situ reconstruction of continuous girder bridge

In order to carry out the stability analysis of the in-situ reconstructed steel truss bridge with continuous girder bridge, this study understood the basic overview of the project and the construction scheme, which carried out the construction analysis by numerical simulation method. It is easy to find that the maximum stress of bracket is 75N/mm2 which is less than 110N/mm2.The maximum deformation is 9.2mm, and column height/500=40mm.Stability is calculated as 10.2, which is in accordance with the code. Setting the reinforcement ring at the node part, the local stress is reduced from 285 N/mm2 to 145 N/mm2, which avoids the Z-direction tearing of the steel plate. During the construction stage, the tensile stresses at the top edge of block and bottom edge were 1.4 MPa and 1.5 MPa respectively, and the normal stress meets the construction requirements. The flexural bearing capacity can be satisfied without the temperature T-degree effect in consideration. The study can provide reference for the stability analysis of related cases.s

FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF STEEL TRUSS ARCH BRIDGE JACKING CONSTRUCTION

In this study, a spatial model of a steel truss arch bridge was established using the finite element software Midas/Civil to simulate and analyze the jacking construction process. The stress performance of the guide beam and main structure at each jacking stage was obtained. The results showed that in the first stage of jacking, the maximum stress and deflection values of the main girder were observed. The maximum stress on the upper edge of the main girder was 34.9MPa, and on the lower edge, it was -60.4MPa. The maximum deflection was -35.88mm. The maximum stress in the guide beam occurred during the jacking process and was -53.2MPa, corresponding to the cross-section at the root of the guide beam. The maximum deflection of the guide beam occurred in the maximum cantilever state and was -30.79mm. During the arch rib jacking process, the maximum stress was -49.4MPa. Both the maximum stress and deflection values were within the allowable range, indicating that the structure was in a safe state. This study provides a reference for similar bridge jacking construction projects.

Research on the Mechanical Performance of a Mountainous Long-Span Steel Truss Arch Bridge with High and Low Arch Seats

The Loushui River Bridge is a mountainous long-span steel truss arch bridge with high and low arch seats. The design and construction of the bridge follow the principle of minimizing environmental damage and promoting sustainable development. In this article, the mechanical performance of this bridge is investigated experimentally and numerically at both the construction and operation stages. A series of validated finite element models were established for linear and nonlinear analyses by introducing geometric imperfections, geometric nonlinearities, and material nonlinearities. Then, several optimized models based on different types of design are compared with the original structure. The results indicate that the stability of the asymmetric bridge met the design requirements in both the construction and operation stages. However, the lateral stability and stiffness of the asymmetric bridge are weak due to the wind hazard that occurred in its mountain ravine. The out-of-plane instability from the short half-arch is the dominant failure mode, and the weakest area is where the arch ribs intersect with the bridge deck. It can be solved by adding more cross bracings without affecting the clearance above the bridge deck or by improving the material intensity of the arch.

Study of a Layered Plate Girder Element of Composite Materials and Its Applications

This study aims to provide an effective method to study the behavior of a steel–concrete composite deck. First, the structural characteristics of the composite deck and the challenges arising in the computational analysis of the structure using general software are described. Then, an LPGE element that combines the plate element and the girder element into one element to conveniently construct the model with high computation efficiency is proposed. Based on the principle of multivariate field function, the constraint matrix for the plate and girder and the stiffness matrix for the LPGE are derived. The LPGE method is used to study the behavior of the composite deck through the computation of a steel truss arch bridge. The computation results are compared with the results obtained in ANSYS and the test results to verify the correctness and effectiveness of the LPGE method. The results of the paper offer references for the analysis of steel–concrete composite decks.

Application of BRB to Seismic Mitigation of Steel Truss Arch Bridge Subjected to Near-Fault Ground Motions

In this paper, the seismic response of a steel truss arch bridge subjected to near-fault ground motions is studied. Then, the idea of applying buckling restrained braces (BRBs) to a steel truss arch bridge in near-fault areas is proposed and validated. Firstly, the basic characteristics of near-fault ground motions are identified and distinguished. Furthermore, the seismic response of a long span steel truss arch bridge in the near fault area is analyzed by elastic-plastic time analysis. Finally, the braces prone to buckling failure are replaced by BRBs to reduce the seismic response of the arch rib through their energy dissipation properties. Four BRB schemes were proposed with different yield strengths, but the same initial stiffness. The basic period of the structure remains the same. The results show that near-fault ground motion will not only obviously increase the displacement and internal force response of the bridge, but also cause more braces to buckle. By replacing a portion of the normal bars with BRBs, the internal forces and displacements of the arch ribs can be reduced to some extent, which is more prominent under the action of pulsed ground motion. There is a clear correlation between the damping effect and the parameters of BRB, so an optimized solution should be obtained by comparison and calculation.

Bayonne Bridge, USA: raising the roadway

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's Bayonne Bridge crosses the entrance to the ports of Newark and Elizabeth, NJ, USA. The longest steel truss arch span in the world when it opened in 1931, the bridge was designed by Othmar Ammann. To maintain the economic vitality of the ports, the original 46 m navigational clearance needed to be raised to 65.5 m in order to accommodate mega container ships passing through the newly widened Panama Canal. Precast concrete segmental construction was used along with an innovative staged construction approach to avoid long-term bridge closures and to expedite the construction schedule. The new navigational clearance was attained in 2017 and project completion occurred in mid-2019.

Fatigue Performance Evaluation of K-Type Joints in Long-Span Steel Truss Arch Bridge

The K-type joint, which consists of the web members and the chord members with varied angles welded together, has been widely adopted in long-span steel truss bridges. However, its fatigue performance has been rarely considered, despite its critical role in bridge structural safety and durability. Accordingly, the FE model of the K-type joint was established in Abaqus and the fatigue performance analysis was conducted, in which the effect of web/chord thickness ratio (τ), chord/web angle (θ), and chord with rib stiffener were investigated. Take the Mingzhu Bay steel truss arch bridge as an engineering background, the hot spot stress method was employed to calculate the fatigue performance of three K-type joints in unfavorable locations. Furthermore, a 3D full-scall bridge model was built to evaluate the fatigue performance of the K-type joints under standard and overloaded moving vehicle load scenarios. The results show that the max hot spot stress factor (SCFmax) of the web and chord member is influenced by τ and θ. The chord members added stiffener is founded to be an effective way to enhance fatigue performance. The fatigue stress intensities of the three unfavorable locations meet the Eurocode 3 specification requirements, but the one in the mid-truss arch is not satisfied under an overloaded vehicle loading rate of 25%.

Fatigue Analysis of Long-Span Steel Truss Arched Bridge Part II: Fatigue Life Assessment of Suspenders Subjected to Dynamic Overloaded Moving Vehicles

In a half-through steel arched bridge, the suspenders are the critical load transfer component that transmits the deck system and traffic load to the arch rib. These suspenders are subjected to traffic and environmental vibrations and are prone to fatigue failure, especially for overloaded moving vehicles. This paper aims to study the impact of moving vehicles’ overloaded rate on the fatigue performance of suspenders in a long-span three steel truss arch bridge. Based on the Mingzhu Bay steel arch bridge, a 3D finite element bridge model was first established and seven types of moving fatigue vehicle models were considered. Then the stress amplitude and dynamic response of the suspenders on the middle steel truss arch were studied under a standard, 25%, and 50% overloaded moving vehicles load. Following that, the Miner fatigue cumulative damage theory was employed to evaluate the fatigue life of the suspenders. The results show that the short suspenders in the middle steel truss arch have the shortest fatigue life but can still meet the design requirements under the standard load. However, the fatigue life of the suspenders decreases by 20% and 30% when the overloading rate reaches 25% and 50%. The fatigue life cannot meet the design requirement when the overload rate is 50%.

Investigation on the mapping for temperature-induced responses of a long-span steel truss arch bridge

Temperature-induced bridge responses are highly sensitive to changes in bridge properties. Thus, the relationship between temperature and associated responses can be used as a surrogate to assess the health of bridges. However, the relationship between temperature and temperature-induced displacement is influenced significantly by bridge bearing properties. The temperature variation cannot cause longitudinal displacements until the longitudinal restraint of bearings is overcome. Additionally, the temperature-induced strains highly depend on spatial temperature distributions in bridges. The developed mappings seldom consider the aforementioned issues, resulting in errors that can conceal the variation produced by the changes in bridge conditions. Focusing on long-span steel truss arch bridges with spherical bearings, this study seeks to accurately map the temperature-induced responses considering the bearing properties and spatial temperature distributions. The relationship between temperature variation and temperature-induced responses is explored initially using the elastic beam theory. Subsequently, the mapped relationship is validated using field monitoring data. Results show that the relationship produces unique flat planes in 3 D space; the plane parameters, including the orientation and boundary, are determined by the structural parameters, especially the bridge cross-section properties and bearing properties. Accordingly, the 3 D baseline can provide a feasible signature for bridge conditions.

Seismic response of the long-span steel truss arch bridge with the thrust under multidimensional excitation

PurposeUnder different ground motion excitation modes, the spatial coupling effect of seismic response for the arch bridge with thrust, seismic weak parts and the internal force components of the control section of main arch ribs are analyzed.Design/methodology/approachTaking a 490 m deck type railway steel truss arch bridge as the background, the dynamic calculation model of the whole bridge was established by SAP2000 software. The seismic response analyses under one-, two- and three-dimension (1D, 2D and 3D) uniform ground motion excitations were carried out.FindingsFor the steel truss arch bridge composed of multiple arch ribs, any single direction ground motion excitation will cause large axial force in the chord of arch rib. The axial force caused by transverse and vertical ground motion excitation in the chord of arch crown area is 1.4–3.6 times of the corresponding axial force under longitudinal seismic excitation. The in-plane bending moment caused by the lower chord at the vault is 4.2–5.5 times of the corresponding bending moment under the longitudinal seismic excitation. For the bottom chord of arch rib, the arch foot is the weak part of earthquake resistance, but for the upper chord of arch rib, the arch foot, arch crown and the intersection of column and upper chord can all be the potential earthquake-resistant weak parts. The normal stress of the bottom chord of the arch rib under multidimensional excitation is mainly caused by the axial force, but the normal stress of the upper chord of the arch rib is caused by the axial force, in-plane and out of plane bending moment.Originality/valueThe research provides specific suggestions for ground motion excitation mode and also provides reference information for the earthquake-resistant weak part and seismic design of long-span deck type railway steel truss arch bridges.

Mapping of Temperature-Induced Response Increments for Monitoring Long-Span Steel Truss Arch Bridges Based on Machine Learning

Temperature-induced responses have been found to be sensitive to changes in bridge properties. Accordingly, researchers have sought to develop temperature-response mappings that could be used in assessing bridge conditions; to date, obtaining sufficiently precise mappings analytically has proven intractable. Alternatively, numerous researchers have directly developed mappings between temperature and the associated responses using measured data. However, temperature-induced responses are a function of the temperatures throughout the entire bridge, and such spatial temperature distributions using a limited number of sensors are challenging to capture, particularly for steel truss bridges, due to the large number and variety of structural members. Mappings that have been obtained are generally a function of the long-term fluctuations, corresponding to daily variations; the short-term fluctuations (i.e., higher-frequency components) in temperature data are neglected. This paper first proposes that the relationship between increments in temperature and the associated increments in responses can be used as a surrogate to assess the bridge performance. Simulation results show that the statistical distribution of the error between measured and predicted response increments can be used for identifying abnormal structural behavior. Then, various mappings for both displacement and strain increments are explored and verified using field monitoring data. The mapping with all temperature sensors performs the best; principal component analysis (PCA) can effectively reduce the dimension of input without compromising accuracy. In addition, the recorded time of temperature data is validated to be a useful indicator of the spatial temperature distribution in bridges, which can be used to improve the performance of the mappings when the bridge has only a few temperature sensors. These findings provide an improved approach for mapping the relationship between increments in temperature to increments in temperature-induced responses that shows promise for identifying abnormal bridge behavior.

Initial crack propagation of integral joint in steel truss arch bridges and its fatigue life accession

Integral joints are an important component in steel truss bridges. To investigate their initial crack propagation performance and assess their fatigue life, a finite element model of Bridge B as well as a local model of a steel joist with an integral joint are introduced. Subsequently, the stress–time curves of each component are transformed into equivalent stress amplitudes using the rain flow counting and Miner equivalent stress methods. Next, an ABAQUS automatic crack propagation program is developed to simulate the composite crack propagation at the most dangerous node, SE6. The results show that the crack propagation rate is low in the early stage of crack propagation; however, this process accounts for the main aspect of the remaining life in crack propagation. Finally, the effects of different initial crack sizes, nodal plate thicknesses, and initial angles of cracks on the stress intensity factor are investigated.

Aeroelastic model design and sensitivity analysis of a complicated steel truss arch tower to skew incident winds based on wind tunnel tests

An aeroelastic model design method of a complicated steel truss arch tower was proposed and the response features subjected to skew incident wind forces were presented via experimental approach. At the geometric scaling of 1:40, the bars of aeroelastic model were designed and manufactured with scaled appearance, of which the rigidities are scaled based on the classification grouping to the dimensions and weights are compensated. The buckling analysis and checking calculation of members’ slenderness ratio were carried out. Wind tunnel tests on the completed stage and two key construction stages were conducted with various skew incident angles. Otherwise, the sensitivity coefficient of the y directional extreme displacement for the completed tower in turbulent flow was analyzed. The results show that the wind load in y direction has much more effect on the structure and the wind induced responses meet the design requirements. The maximum y directional extreme displacement at the reference wind speed appears within the range of wind incident angles 0°~30°. The decrease trend of the y directional extreme displacement of the completed tower in turbulent flow in the wind incident angle range of 30°~80° is bigger than that in other angles. • The aeroelastic model design method of a complicated steel truss arch tower with multi-end constraints has been proposed. • The buckling analysis and checking calculation of members’ slenderness ratio for the model have been carried out. • The complicated aeroelastic model has been manufactured and validated. • The dimensionless sensitivity coefficient has been used to analyze the response sensitivity of the model to skew wind.

Mapping temperature contours for a long-span steel truss arch bridge based on field monitoring data

The temperature-induced response of long-span steel bridges can be more significant than the structural responses associated with operational loads or structural damage. These responses depend on the spatio-temporal temperature variation in bridge members, including the effective temperature and temperature difference within members. Bridges are designed to withstand the extreme temperature variations predicted for a given site. Hence, numerous studies have employed statistical analysis techniques to provide critical information for the design and maintenance of bridges during life cycles. However, the correlation between the effective temperature and temperature difference is usually ignored, which can result in inaccurate assessment of the extreme temperatures in members. In this work, the joint probability distribution for the temperature variation in a long-span steel truss arch bridge is investigated based on field monitoring data. The extreme temperature variations are mapped on contours with relevant return periods; the results show that the probability distribution of the effective temperature can be described using the normal distribution; the weighted sum of two lognormal distributions can describe the distribution of temperature difference. Moreover, extreme values of the effective temperature and temperature difference do not occur concurrently. The effective temperature and temperature difference in the structural member directly exposed to solar radiation vary significantly, while the temperature of the shaded member can be assumed uniform, which is mainly affected by air temperature. The study leads to more accurate estimation of the temperature extremes in long-span steel truss arch bridges, which is of great importance for proper design and maintenance of bridges.

Longitudinal Displacement Behavior and Girder End Reliability of a Jointless Steel-Truss Arch Railway Bridge during Operation

The long length and complex service load form conflicts with the low limits of longitudinal and transverse displacements of jointless bridge design. The longitudinal displacements of the Nanjing Dashengguan Yangtze River Bridge, a jointless steel-truss arch railway bridge, and its girder end reliability are investigated in this article. The time–frequency characteristics of the longitudinal displacements of bearings and expansion joints are analyzed using the empirical wavelet transform. The long-term characteristics of the longitudinal displacements of bearings and expansion joints in the operation period are explored. Furthermore, the relative transverse displacements of the bridge girder end are calculated using longitudinal displacement monitoring data. The mechanical behaviors of the expansion device under relative transverse displacements are studied. The reliability of expansion devices and crossing trains under the effects of relative transverse displacements is studied using kernel density estimation. The main results demonstrate that: (1) The longitudinal displacements of bearings and expansion joints are mainly influenced by environmental temperature. (2) The maximum relative transverse displacement of the expansion joint is close to 1 mm in long-term bridge operation, with the transverse rail deflection at the expansion device approaching 1 mm, which reduces the stability of cross high-speed trains.

Research on the Construction Process of a Steel Truss Arch Bridge Based on BrIM

This paper combined BrIM (Bridge Information Modeling) technology with the bridge engineering to parameterize the information of a through type truss arch bridge, and BIM technology is used for information management and construction process management. Firstly, the information such as the size and material of each member of the truss arch bridge was input to the family library to construct the three-dimensional model corresponding to the plane and elevation information, which could be used for the drawing review. Then the Navisworks roaming model was used for collision check, the design development phase of the construction drawings were achieved to component geometry and the detailed tables in Revit was used to manage the materials. At last, TimeLiner in Navisworks was utilized to design the construction process so Navisworks could simulate the construction process. It is found that BrIM technology of Revit combined with Navisworks can effectively improve the communication efficiency of all side such as construction, supervision, design and construction, facilitate the industrial prefabrication of components, reduce the component collision before the construction phase, control the schedule of construction and optimize the construction process.