• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.109-122
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• 2012

An efficient and accurate algorithm is proposed to evaluate the reliability of cable-stayed bridges accounting for soil-pile interaction. The proposed algorithm integrates the finite-element method and the response surface method. The finite-element method is used to model the cable-stayed bridge including soil-pile interaction. The reliability index is evaluated based on the response surface method. Uncertainties in the superstructure, the substructure and load parameters are incorporated in the proposed algorithm. A long span steel cable-stayed bridge with a main span length of 1088 m built in China is considered as an illustrative example. The reliability of the bridge is evaluated for the strength and serviceability performance functions. Results of the study show that when strength limit states for both girder and tower are considered, soil-pile interaction has significant effects on the reliability of steel cable-stayed bridges. Further, a detailed sensitivity study shows that the modulus of subgrade reaction is the most important soil-pile interaction-related parameter influencing the reliability of steel cable-stayed bridges.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.747-764
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• 2022

The design codes and calculation methods related to soil-steel composite bridges and culverts only specify the minimum soil cover depth. This value is connected with the bridge span and shell height. In the case of static and dynamic loads (like passing vehicles), such approach seems to be quite reasonable. However, it is important to know how the soil cover depth affects the behaviour of soil-steel composite bridges under seismic excitation. This paper presents the results of a numerical study of soil-steel bridges with different soil cover depths (1.00, 2.00, 2.40, 3.00, 4.00, 5.00, 6.00 and 7.00 m) under seismic excitation. In addition, the same soil cover depths with different boundary conditions of the soil-steel bridge were analysed. The analysed bridge has two closed pipe-arches in its cross section. The load-carrying structure was constructed as two shells assembled from corrugated steel plate sheets, designed with a depth of 0.05 m, pitch of 0.15 m, and plate thickness of 0.003 m. The shell span is 4.40 m, and the shell height is 2.80 m. Numerical analysis was conducted using the DIANA programme based on the finite element method. A nonlinear model with El Centro records and the time history method was used to analyse the problem.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.301-314
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• 2010

The paper presents the results and conclusions of dynamic load tests that were conducted on a road bridge over the Mokrzyca river in Wroclaw (Poland) made of galvanized corrugated steel plates (CSP). The critical speed magnitudes, velocity vibration, vibration frequency were determined in the paper. The dynamic analysis is extremely important, because such studies of soil-steel bridges in the range of dynamic loads are relatively seldom conducted. Conclusions drawn from the tests can be most helpful in the assessment of behaviour of this type of corrugated plate bridge with soil. In consideration of application of this type of structure in the case of small-to-medium span bridges, the conclusions from the research will not be yet generalized to all types of such solutions. The detailed reference to all type of such bridge structures would be requiring additional analysis (field tests and calculations) on the other types of soil-steel bridges.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.331-338
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• 2001

The soil-steel bridges which were introduced in Korea recently are widely used instead of underpasses of highway or small bridges. This bridge is a kind of flexible buried conduit which sustain the applied load by the interaction with the backfill soil. The 6.25m din. round soil-steel bridge was instrumented so as to investigate the behavior of load sustenance, The axial forces and moments at the 7 locations around the metallic shell were calculated from the measurement of strains during backfilling. The maximum axial force and moment were compared with those of various design predictions. Finally, the stability of bridge was evaluated.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.21-41
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• 2010

Multi-span steel-concrete composite (SCC) bridges are very sensitive to earthquake loading. Extensive damage may occur not only in the substructures (piers), which are expected to yield, but also in the other components (e.g., deck, abutments) involved in carrying the seismic loads. Current seismic codes allow the design of regular bridges by means of linear elastic analysis based on inelastic design spectra. In bridges with superstructure transverse motion restrained at the abutments, a dual load path behavior is observed. The sequential yielding of the piers can lead to a substantial change in the stiffness distribution. Thus, force distributions and displacement demand can significantly differ from linear elastic analysis predictions. The objectives of this study are assessing the influence of piers-deck stiffness ratio and of soil-structure interaction effects on the seismic behavior of continuous SCC bridges with dual load path, and evaluating the suitability of linear elastic analysis in predicting the actual seismic behavior of these bridges. Parametric analysis results are presented and discussed for a common bridge typology. The response dependence on the parameters is studied by nonlinear multi-record incremental dynamic analysis (IDA). Comparisons are made with linear time history analysis results. The results presented suggest that simplified linear elastic analysis based on inelastic design spectra could produce very inaccurate estimates of the structural behavior of SCC bridges with dual load path.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.217-227
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• 2018

This paper utilizes 3D FEM to provide deeper insights about the structural behaviour of a 6.1 m span steel culvert, which was previously tested under extreme loading. The effect of different input parameters pertaining to the backfill soil has been investigated, where the structural response is compared to field measurements. The interface choice between the steel and soil materials was also studied. The results enabled to realize the major influence of the friction angle on the load effects. Moreover, the analyses showed some differences concerning the estimation of failure load, whereas reasons beyond this outcome were arguably presented and discussed.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.359-379
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• 2020

Due to susceptibility of bridges in the past earthquakes, vulnerability assessment and strengthening of bridges has gained a particular significance. The objective of the present study is to employ an analytical method for the development of fragility curves, as well as to investigate the effect of strengthening on the RC box-girder bridges. Since fragility curves are used for pre-and post-earthquake planning, this paper has attempted to adopt the most reliable modeling assumptions in order to increase the reliability. Furthermore, to acknowledge the interaction of soil, abutment and pile, the effect of different strengthening methods, such as using steel jacketing and FRP layers, the effect of increase in the bridge pier diameter, and the effect of vertical component of earthquake on the vulnerability of bridges in this study, a three-span RC box-girder bridge was modeled in 9 different cases. Nonlinear dynamic analyses were carried out on the studied bridges subjected to 100 ground motion records via OpenSEES platform. Therefore, the fragility curves were plotted and compared in the four damage states. The results revealed that once the interaction of soil and abutment and the vertical component of the earthquake are accounted for in the calculations, the median fragility is reduced, implying that the bridge becomes more vulnerable. It was also confirmed that steel jackets and FRP layers are suitable methods for pier strengthening which reduces the vulnerability of the bridge.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.405-429
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• 2014

In this paper, it is aimed to determine the structural behavior of suspension bridges considering construction stages and different soil conditions. Bosporus Suspension Bridge connecting the Europe and Asia in Istanbul is selected as an example. Finite element model of the bridge is constituted using SAP2000 program considering existing drawings. Geometric nonlinearities are taken into consideration in the analysis using P-Delta large displacement criterion. The time dependent material strength of steel and concrete and geometric variations is included in the analysis. Time dependent material properties are considered as compressive strength, aging, shrinkage and creep for concrete, and relaxation for steel. To emphases the soil condition effect on the structural behavior of suspension bridges, each of hard, medium and soft soils are considered in the analysis. The structural behavior of the bridge at different construction stages and different soil conditions has been examined. Two different finite element analyses with and without construction stages are carried out and results are compared with each other. At the end of the analyses, variation of the displacement and internal forces such as bending moment, axial forces and shear forces for bridge deck and towers are given in detail. Also, displacement and stresses for bridge foundation are given with detail. It can be seen from the analyses that there are some differences between both analyses (with and without construction stages) and the results obtained from the construction stages are bigger. It can be stated that the analysis without construction stages cannot give the reliable solutions. In addition, soil condition have effect on the structural behavior of the bridge. So, it is thought that construction stage analysis using time dependent material properties, geometric nonlinearity and soil conditions effects should be considered in order to obtain more realistic structural behavior of suspension bridges.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2009

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.67-78
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• 2004

Soil-steel bridges are made of flexible corrugated steel plates buried in the well-compacted granular soil. One kind of possible collapses of these structures could be initiated by shear or tension failure in the soil cover subjected to vehicle loads. Current design codes provide the requirements for the minimum depth of the soil cover to avoid problems associated with soil cover failures. However, these requirements were developed for short span (less than 7.7 m) structures which are made of unstiffened plates of standard corrugation (150$\times$50 m). Numerical analyses were carried out to investigate the behavior of long span soil steel bridges according to thickness of the soil cover. The span of structures were up to 20 m and deep corrugated plates (381$\times$140 m) were used. The analysis showed that the minimum cover depth of 1.5 m could be sufficient to prevent the soil cover failure in the structures with a span exceeding 10 m. Additional analyses were performed to verify the reinforcement effect of the concrete relieving slab which can be a special feature to reduce the live-load effects. Analyses revealed that the bending moment of the conduit wall with a relieving slab was less than 20% of that without a relieving slab in a case of shallow soil cover conditions.