• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.64 no.5
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• pp.567-577
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• 2017

The traditional design procedure of a prestressed concrete (PC) cable-stayed bridge is complex and time-consuming. The designers have to repeatedly modify the configuration of the large number of design parameters to obtain a feasible design scheme which maybe not an economical design. In order to efficiently achieve an optimum design for PC cable-stayed bridges, a multi-parameter optimization technique is proposed. In this optimization technique, the number of prestressing tendons in girder is firstly set as one of design variables, as well as cable forces, cable areas and cross-section sizes of the girders and the towers. The stress and displacement constraints are simultaneously utilized to ensure the safety and serviceability of the structure. The target is to obtain the minimum cost design for a PC cable-stayed bridge. Finally, this optimization technique is carried out by a developed PC cable-stayed bridge optimization program involving the interaction of the parameterized automatically modeling program, the finite element structural analysis program and the optimization algorithm. A low-pylon PC cable-stayed bridge is selected as the example to test the proposed optimization technique. The optimum result verifies the capability and efficiency of the optimization technique, and the significance to optimize the number of prestressing tendons in the girder. The optimum design scheme obtained by the application can achieve a 24.03% reduction in cost, compared with the initial design.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.529-537
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• 2017

Excessively elevated temperature can lead to cracks in prestressed concrete (PC) continuous bridge with box girder on the pier top at cement hydration age. This paper presents a case study for evaluating the behavior of PC box girder during the early hydration age using a two-stage computational model, in the form of computer program ANSYS, namely, 3-D temperature evaluation and determination of mechanical response in PC box girders. A numerical model considering time-dependent wind speed and ambient temperature in ANSYS for tracing the thermal and mechanical response of box girder is developed. The predicted results were compared to show good agreement with the measured data from the PC box girder of the Zhaoshi Bridge in China. Then, based on the validated numerical model three parameters were incorporated to analyze the evolution of the temperature and stress within box girder caused by cement hydration heat. The results of case study indicate that the wind speed can change the degradation history of temperature and stress and reduce peak value of them. The initial casting temperature of concrete is the most significant parameter which controls cracking of PC box girder on pier top at cement hydration age. Increasing the curing temperature is detrimental to prevent cracking.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2021

The influence of prestress force on the fundamental frequency and static deflection shape of uncracked Prestressed Concrete (PC) beams with a parabolic bonded tendon was examined in this paper. Due to the conflicts among existing theories, the analytical solutions for properly considering the dynamic and static behavior of these members is not straightforward. A series of experiments were conducted for a total period of approximately 2.5 months on a PC beam made with high strength concrete, subsequently and closely to the 28 days of age of concrete. Specifically, the simply supported PC member was short term subjected to free transverse vibration and three-point bending tests during its early-age. Subsequently, the experimental data were compared with a model that describes the dynamic behavior of PC girders as a combination of two substructures interconnected, i.e., a compressed Euler-Bernoulli beam and a tensioned parabolic cable. It was established that the fundamental frequency of uncracked PC beams with a parabolic bonded tendon is sensitive to the variation of the initial elastic modulus of concrete in the early-age curing. Furthermore, the small variation in experimental frequency with time makes doubtful its use in inverse problem identifications. Conversely, the relationship between prestress force and static deflection shape is well described by the magnification factor formula of the "compression-softening" theory by assuming the variation of the chord elastic modulus of concrete with time.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Structure & Construction
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.3-10
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• 2018

Hybrid Prestressed Precast Concrete System (HPPC system) is a newly developed frame system that can improve the performance of precast concrete (PC) joints by post-tensioning. In particular, the details proposed in this study can reduce the lifting weight of the PC members and eliminate problems caused by cracks in the joints that occur under service loads. This study performed an evaluation on the negative moment performance of full-scaled HPPC girders. The test specimens were cast with or without slabs, with bonded or unbonded tendons, and had different post-tensioned lengths in tensile section. The test results showed that the specimens with slabs had significantly higher stiffness and strength than those without slabs. There were no differences in the flexural behavior between those with bonded or unbonded tendons, and between those with short or long post-tensioned lengths in the negative moment region.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.10 no.4 s.37
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• pp.577-587
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• 1998

The influences of high speed train on the dynamic responses of steel composite railway bridges are investigated. The bridge system which has two I-girder and several cross beams is modeled with plate and frame elements. With assumption of concrete slabs are fully connected with steel girders, the offset between slabs and girders is modeled using constraint equation. The track system is modeled using beams on elastic foundation theory. And, the TGV train model is developed in 2-dimension considering bouncing and pitching motion. And braking action of vehicle is considered using speed dependent braking function. To investigate the behavior of bridges due to moving trains, parametric studies on the variation of natural frequency of bridge, speed parameter, vehicle modeling method, braking action of train, etc are performed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.173-183
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• 2010

In this study, noncomposite and composite eco-arch structures with I-beams and precast concrete(PC) decks were investigated. Four finite-element models(a steel-girder model, a steel-girder-and-several-PC-panels model, a three-steel-girder model, and a three-steel-girder-and-several-PC-panels model) using a general finite-element program, ABAQUS, were reviewed to predict the strength of the noncomposite and composite arch structures. Based on the results of the finite- element analysis, the behaviors of the four models were investigated, and deflection and strain gauges for the experimental specimen consisting of three steel girders and several PC panels were set up to obtain the ultimate strength. The ultimate strength of the specimen was estimated to be 1,961kN. The ultimate strength was much larger than the 1,380-kN load calculated using AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications(2007). The noncomposite and composite arch bridges were found to have enough strength for safety.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.69-76
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• 2020

Bridges which are components of road network consume large amounts of resources such as concrete and steel materials, which have large environmental impacts during construction. This causes a great environmental burden. In order to reduce the environmental impact caused by the construction of the bridge, the environmental impact should be reviewed based on reasonable data in the early design stage. The purpose of this study is to provide basic data for LCA-based environmental impact assessment in the process of selecting bridge type in the early design stage. For this purpose, design data for four types of PSC bridges (general PSC girder, IPC girder, e-Beam, DR girder) were collected and LCA was performed to analyze the basic unit value and impact factors of environmental load. The results of the analysis showed that the environmental impact of IPC girder was the smallest, and the environmental impact of e-Beam was 133.7% higher than that of IPC girder. In addition, concrete, reinforcement, PC strand, square timber, sheath pipe, and steel plate were derived as the main factors that generate 98.5% of the overall environmental impact of PSC girder.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.13 no.3 s.55
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• pp.101-109
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• 2009

An algorithm is proposed for estimating dynamic displacements of a bridge by using FBG sensors and by superposing some measurable low modes. Modal displacements are obtained from the beam theory and the generalized coordinates are deduced from the strains measured by FBG sensors. By considering flexural and torsional modes occurred in bridges only as flexural modes of a simply supported beam by separating a bridge into multiple girders or parts, the proposed algorithm can be applied to various types of bridges. Guidelines are provided theoretically for determining the number of modes and the number of strain gages to be used. The proposed algorithm has been examined through simulation studies on various types of bridges, laboratory experiments on a model bridge, and field tests on a simple span PC Box girder bridge. Through the simulation study, the effects of the error in the vibration modes and measurement noise on estimating the dynamic displacements are analyzed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.661-678
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• 2013

As a new type of vibration reduction, the ladder track system has been successfully used in engineering. In this paper, a numerical model of the train-track-viaduct system is established to study the dynamic responses of an elevated bridge with ladder track. The system is composed of a vehicle submodel, a track submodel and a bridge submodel, with the measured track irregularities as the system self-excitation. The whole time histories of a train running through an elevated bridge with $3{\times}27m$ continuous PC box girders are simulated. The dynamic responses of the bridge such as deflections, lateral and vertical accelerations, and the vehicle responses such as derailment factors, offload factors and car-body accelerations are calculated. The calculated results are partly validated through the comparison with the experimental data. Compared to the common slab track, adapting the ladder sleeper can effectively reduce the accelerations of the bridge girder, and also reduce the car-body accelerations and offload factors of the train vehicle.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.3A
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• pp.201-209
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• 2010

Generally, PSC girder bridge uses total gross cross section to resist applied loads unlike reinforced concrete member. Also, it is used as short and middle span (less than 30 m) bridges due to advantages such as ease of design and construction, reduction of cost, and convenience of maintenance. But, due to recent increased public interests for environmental friendly and appearance appealing bridges all over the world, the demands for longer span bridges have been continuously increasing. This trend is shown not only in ordinary long span bridge types such as cable supported bridges but also in PSC girder bridges. In order to meet the increasing demands for new type of long span bridges, PSC hollow box girder with H-type steel as compression reinforcements is developed for bridge with a single span of more than 50 m. The developed PSC girder applies compressive prestressing at H-type compression reinforcements using unbonded PS tendon. The purpose of compressive prestressing is to recover plastic displacement of PSC girder after long term service by releasing the prestressing. The static test composed of 4 different stages in 3-point bending test is performed to verify safety of the bridge. First stage loading is applied until tensile cracks form. Then in second stage, the load is removed and the girder is unloaded. In third stage, after removal of loading, recovery of remaining plastic deformation is verified as the compressive prestressing is removed at H-type reinforcements. Then, in fourth stage, loading is continued until the girder fails. The experimental results showed that the first crack occurs at 1,615 kN with a corresponding displacement of 187.0 mm. The introduction of the additional compressive stress in the lower part of the girder from the removal of unbonded compressive prestressing of the H-type steel showed a capacity improvement of about 60% (7.7 mm) recovery of the residual deformation (18.7 mm) that occurred from load increase. By using prestressed H-type steel as compression reinforcements in the upper part of cross section, repair and rehabilitation of PSC girders are relatively easy, and the cost of maintenance is expected to decrease.