• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.137-150
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• 2017

This paper focuses on the post-earthquake serviceability of steel arch bridges installed with three types of seismic dampers suffered mainshock-aftershock sequences. Two post-earthquake serviceability verification methods for the steel arch bridges are compared. The energy-absorbing properties of three types of seismic dampers, including the buckling restrained brace, the shear panel damper and the shape memory alloy damper, are investigated under major earthquakes. Repeated earthquakes are applied to the steel arch bridges to examine the influence of the aftershocks to the structures with and without dampers. The relative displacement is proposed for the horizontal transverse components in such complicated structures. Results indicate that the strain-based verification method is more conservative than the displacement-base verification method in evaluating the post-earthquake serviceability of structures and the seismic performance of the retrofitted structure is significantly improved.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.51-69
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• 2023

In tied-arch bridges, a properly designed connection between the arch and the deck may become crucial, since the forces in the structure may be significantly reduced. This implies substantial material savings and, consequently, cheaper constructions. The introduction of the Nielsen cable arrangement (composed of V-shaped inclined hangers) in the last century was a milestone because it was able to reduce deflections and bending moments both in the arch and in the deck. So far, the Nielsen cable arrangement has proven to be successful in traditional vertical arch bridges. However, despite its advantages, it has not been widely applied to spatial arch bridges. Thus, this article analyses the difference between the structural behavior of spatial arch bridges with Nielsen-type cable arrangements with respect to those with classical vertical hanger configurations. The main goal is to verify whether the known effectiveness of the Nielsen cable arrangement for classical arch bridges is still preserved when applied to spatial arch bridges. In order to achieve this objective, and as the first part of our study, a set of different all-steel bridges composed of vertical and inclined arches with straight decks have been compared for both cable arrangements. As a major conclusion, for planar vertical arch bridges, the Nielsen-type cable arrangement is always the most effective. In addition, it also seems that, for spatial arch bridges composed of a straight deck and an inclined arch, it still keeps most of its effectiveness as long as the arch is moderately inclined.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.273-288
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• 2015

As one of the most common failure types of arch bridges, stability is one of the critical aspects for the design of arch bridges. Using 3D finite element model in ABAQUS, this paper has studied the stability performance of an arch bridge with inclined arch ribs and hangers, and the analysis also took the effects of geometrical and material nonlinearity into account. The impact of local buckling and residual stress of steel plates on global stability and the applicability of fiber model in stability analysis for steel arch bridges were also investigated. The results demonstrate an excellent stability of the arch bridge because of the transverse constraint provided by transversely-inclined hangers. The distortion of cross section, local buckling and residual stress of ribs has an insignificant effect on the stability of the structure, and the accurate ultimate strength may be obtained from a fiber model analysis. This study also shows that the yielding of the arch ribs has a significant impact on the ultimate capacity of the structure, and the bearing capacity may also be approximately estimated by the initial yield strength of the arch rib.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.639-650
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• 2007

Applying the method calculating creep of Concrete Filled steel Tube (CFT) members based on the Elastic Continuation and Plastic Flow theory for concrete creep with the finite element method, the paper develops a new numerical method for the creep of CFT arch bridges considering effects of bending moment. It is shown that the method is feasible and reasonable through comparing the predicted stresses and deflection caused by the creep with the results obtained by the method of Gu et al. (2001) based on ACI209R model and experimental data of an actual CFT arch bridge. Furthermore, nine CFT arch bridges with different types are calculated and analyzed with and without the effects of bending moment. As a result, the bending moment has considerable influences on long-term deformations and internal forces of CFT arch bridges, especially when the section of arch rib is subjected to a large bending moment.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.331-343
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• 2002

Because of the increasing span of arch bridges, ultimate capacity analysis recently becomes more focused both on design and construction. This paper investigates the static and ultimate behavior of a long-span steel arch bridge up to failure and evaluates the overall safety of the bridge. The example bridge is a long-span steel arch bridge with a 550 m-long central span under construction in Shanghai, China. This will be the longest central span of any arch bridge in the world. Ultimate behavior of the example bridge is investigated using three methods. Comparisons of the accuracy and reliability of the three methods are given. The effects of material nonlinearity of individual bridge element and distribution pattern of live load and initial lateral deflection of main arch ribs as well as yield stresses of material and changes of temperature on the ultimate load-carrying capacity of the bridge have been studied. The results show that the distribution pattern of live load and yield stresses of material have important effects on bridge behavior. The critical load analyses based on the linear buckling method and geometrically nonlinear buckling method considerably overestimate the load-carrying capacity of the bridge. The ultimate load-carrying capacity analysis and overall safety evaluation of a long-span steel arch bridge should be based on the geometrically and materially nonlinear buckling method. Finally, the in-plane failure mechanism of long-span steel arch bridges is explained by tracing the spread of plastic zones.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.109-122
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• 2016

Concrete creep, while significantly changing the static behaviors of concrete filled steel tube (CFST) structures, do alter the structures' dynamic behaviors as well, which is studied quite limitedly. The attempt to investigate the influence of concrete creep on the dynamic property and response of CFST arch bridges was made in this paper. The mechanism through which creep exerts its influence was analyzed first; then a predicative formula was proposed for the concrete elastic modulus after creep based on available test data; finally a numerical analysis for the effect of creep on the dynamic behaviors of a long-span half-through CFST arch bridge was conducted. It is demonstrated that the presence of concrete creep increases the elastic modulus of concrete, and further magnifies the seismic responses of the displacement and internal force in some sections of the bridge. This influence is related closely to the excitation and the structure, and should be analyzed case-by-case.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.688-693
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• 2007

Nowadays various studies related with superstructure of bridges are developed and they pursuit more effective section of bridges superstructure, material and economical application of composite materials. CFT structure(Concrete Filled Steel Tubular Structure) is developed type of composite structure that concrete is filled with steel box, and the deformation of the member, stiffness and internal force will be improved by confinement effect of steel box and concrete. This paper introduces new type of girder, CFTA girder( Concrete- Filled and Tied Steel Tubular Arch Girder) which is combined with traditional CFT structure,arch effect and prestress through carrying out the structural analysis by computer programs. The computer programs which is used are ABAQCS and MIDAS, and the 12.2m girder which is applied same load and prestresses is analyzed and compared the results respectively.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.321-330
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• 2011

Long-term properties of concrete affect structures in many respects, not excepting dynamic behaviors. This paper investigates the influence of concrete creep on the dynamic behaviors of concrete filled steel tube (CFT) arch bridges, by means of combining the analytical method for the creep of axially compressed CFT members, which is based on Model B3 for concrete creep, with the finite element model of CFT arch bridges. By this approach, the changes of the stress and strain of each element in the bridge with time can be obtained and then transformed into damping and stiffness matrices in the dynamic equation involved in the finite element model at different times. A numerical example of a long-span half-through CFT arch bridge shows that creep influences the natural vibration characteristics and seismic responses of the bridge considerably, especially in the early age. In addition, parameter analysis demonstrates that concrete composition, compressive strength and steel ratio have an obvious effect on the seismic response of the CFT arch bridge.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.703-722
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• 2013

In this paper a study about concrete arch bridges built by lattice cantilevers is presented. Lattice cantilevers are partial structures composed of deck, arch, piers and provisional steel diagonals, organized as reticular cantilever girders, in order to build arch bridges without the use of centrings, supports or temporary towers. Characteristics of this construction methodology with its variants are explained together with their implications in the erection sequence. Partial elastic scheme method is implemented in order to find initial forces of temporary cables and a forward analysis is carried out to follow the actual sequence of construction, by extending a procedure already applied to concrete cable-stayed bridges and to arches built by the classical suspended cantilever method. A numerical application on a case-study of a concrete arch bridge is performed together with a comparison between different methodologies followed for its construction sequence. Differences between erection by lattice cantilevers and cable-stayed cantilevers, are discussed. Results can be useful for designers in conceptual design of concrete arch bridges.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.581-588
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• 2006

Now, a long span and special types of steel deck bridges like as suspention or cable state bridges are increasing and Guss Asphalt used in pavement. But Guss Asphalt may caused severe stress and displacement of the bridge as it is treated using very high temperature ranging from $220^{\circ}C\;to\;260^{\circ}C$. In this paper, a series of numerical tests of a steel deck box arch bridge were conducted to estimate the thermal effect of a steel deck bridge according to temperature changes.