Tied Arch Bridge Research Articles

Considerations for Design of Network Arches

Network arches can be defined as those with inclined hangers with multiple intercetions. In network tied arch bridges, the arch and the tie can be made more slender than in other arch bridges. The tie is usually a concrete slab roadway with longitudinal prestress. For load cases that relax a few hangers, network arches act very much like trusses. Thus, they have little bending in the tie and the arches. To avoid relaxation, the hangers should not be inclined too steeply. Too small an inclination of the hangers will increase the bending moments due to concentrated loads. Compared with similar spans of conventional steel bridges, the network arch usually saves half the weight of steel. During erection, the arch and hangers, supplemented by a light lower chord, can support a concrete roadway while it is being cast. The network arch is most appropriate when local conditions lead to acceptance of structural members above the roadway. This seems to occur more often for railway bridges than for road bridges.

Approximate analysis and optimization of stiffened tied arch bridges

The stiffened tied arch bridge has a tie consisting of a stiff flexural member, which tends to distribute live loads uniformly over the arch. Various approximate methods for analyzing this system are presented, including Maillart's method, a simplification of that procedure, the single-redundancy method, and an elastic foundation approach. Comparisons are made with a computer analysis to determine the accuracy of each procedure. Increased familiarity with this structure should lead to more frequent consideration of this type of bridge by designers.An optimization study was carried out for spans in the range of 50–150 m. This investigation indicated that a girder-to-arch stiffness ratio of about 9 is desirable. Key words: analysis, arch, bridge, optimization, stiffened, structure, tie.

Design of St. Georges Tied Arch Span

The procedure used to determine the preliminary and final designs for a tied arch bridge is presented in this paper. Although the type of structure is not new, having been used in Europe, it is bel...