• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.327-347
• /
• 2015

This paper investigates the effects of Reynolds number (Re) on the aerodynamic characteristics of a twin-deck bridge. A 1:36 scale sectional model of a twin girder bridge was tested using the Wall of Wind (WOW) open jet wind tunnel facility at Florida International University (FIU). Static tests were performed on the model, instrumented with pressure taps and load cells, at high wind speeds with Re ranging from $1.3{\times}10^6$ to $6.1{\times}10^6$ based on the section width. Results show that the section was almost insensitive to Re when pitched to negative angles of attack. However, mean and fluctuating pressure distributions changed noticeably for zero and positive wind angles of attack while testing at different Re regimes. The pressure results suggested that with the Re increase, a larger separation bubble formed on the bottom surface of the upstream girder accompanied with a narrower wake region. As a result, drag coefficient decreased mildly and negative lift coefficient increased. Flow modification due to the Re increase also helped in distributing forces more equally between the two girders. The bare deck section was found to be prone to vortex shedding with limited dependence on the Re. Based on the observations, vortex mitigation devices attached to the bottom surface were effective in inhibiting vortex shedding, particularly at lower Re regime.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.123-132
• /
• 2010

This paper presents a prestress-loss monitoring technique for prestressed concrete (PSC) girder structures that uses a vibration-based system identification method. First, the theoretical backgrounds of the prestress-loss monitoring technique and the system identification technique are presented. Second, vibration tests are performed on a lab-scaled PSC girder for which the modal parameter was measured for several prestress-force cases. A numerical modal analysis is performed by using an initial finite element (FE) model from the geometric, material, and boundary conditions of the lab-scaled PSC girder. Third, a vibration-based system identification is performed to update the FE model by identifying structural parameters since the natural frequency of the FE model became identical to the experimental results. Finally, the feasibility of the prestress-loss monitoring technique is evaluated for the PSC girder model by using the experimentally measured natural frequency and numerically identified natural frequency for several prestress-force cases.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.63-72
• /
• 2007

As business of steel consuming industries is freshly booming in domestic and foreign countries especially in China, the price of steel plates comes to very high compare with the other materials. The HR Plates made from hot rolled coils is lower steel plates in price. In this study, material characteristics of HR Plates is investigated and availabilities of HR Plates for steel bridges as sub member or a main member is discussed. No difference between steel plates and HR Plates with thickness up to 22mm is found in most characters such as cutting operation, fabrication and even welding. As sub member in steel box girders, the application ratio and the loss ratio of HR Plate is investigated as about $10{\sim}15%$, average $10{\sim}15%$ respectively.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.49-58
• /
• 1990

A numerical procedure is developed to analyze the time-dependent deflections of prestressed concrete bridges constructed by the segmental cantilever method. The developed computer program accounts for the time-dependent properties of prestressed concrete materials due to the varying modulus of elasticity, creep and shrinkage of concrete and the stress relaxation of prestressing steel. It also accounts for the stiffness increase due to the presence of the steel reinforcements and the effects of the shear deformation of the prestressed concrete bridge girders. The program is applied to a multi-span continuous segmental prestressed concrete bridge to demonstrate its capabilities and to explore the behavior characteristics of the segmental bridges.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.605-619
• /
• 2009

This paper presents the details of finite element (FE) modeling and analysis of an external prestressing technique to strengthen a prestressed concrete (PSC) end block. Various methods of external prestressing techniques have been discussed. In the proposed technique, transfer of external force is in shear mode on the end block creating a complex stress distribution. The proposed technique is useful when the ends of the PSC girders are not accessible. Finite element modeling issues have been outlined. Brief description about material nonlinearity including key aspects in modeling inelastic behaviour has been provided. Finite element (FE) modeling including material, loading has been explained in depth. FE analysis for linear and nonlinear static analysis has been conducted for varying external loadings. Various responses such as out-of-plane deformation and slip have been computed and compared with the corresponding experimental observations. From the study, it has been observed that the computed slope and slip of the steel bracket under external loading is in good agreement with the corresponding experimental observations.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.689-707
• /
• 2008

This study presents a method to evaluate the seismic risk of an extradosed bridge with seismic isolators of lead rubber bearings (LRBs), and also to show the effectiveness of the LRB isolators on the extradosed bridge, which is one of the relatively flexible and lightly damped structures in terms of seismic risk. Initially, the seismic vulnerability of a structure is evaluated, and then the seismic hazard of a specific site is rated using an earthquake data set and seismic hazard maps in Korea. Then, the seismic risk of the structure is assessed. The nonlinear seismic analyses are carried out to consider plastic deformation of bridge columns and the nonlinear characteristics of soil foundation. To describe the nonlinear behaviour of a column, the ductility demand is adopted, and the moment-curvature relation of a column is assumed to be bilinear hysteretic. The fragility curves are represented as a log-normal distribution function for column damage, movement of superstructure, and cable yielding. And the seismic hazard at a specific site is estimated using the available seismic hazard maps. The results show that in seismically-isolated extradosed bridges under earthquakes, the effectiveness of the isolators is much more noticeable in the columns than the cables and girders.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.651-670
• /
• 2007

An experimental study to evaluate a redundancy capacity in simple span two plate-girder bridges, which are generally classified as a non-redundant load path structure, has been performed under the condition that one of the two girders is seriously damaged. The bottom lateral bracing was selected as an experimental parameter and two 1/5-scale bridge specimens with and without bottom lateral bracing have been prepared. The loading tests were first performed on the intact specimens without cracked girder within elastic range. Thereafter, the ultimate loading tests were conducted on the damaged specimens with an induced crack at the center of a girder. The test results showed that the cross beams and concrete deck redistributed partly the applied load to the uncracked girder, but the lateral bracing system played a significant role of the load redistribution when a girder was damaged. The redundancy was evaluated based on the test results and an appropriate redundancy level was evaluated when the lateral bracing was provided in a seriously damaged simple span two-girder steel bridge.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.397-413
• /
• 2017

When bridges are constructed with lower heights from the ground, the formed channel between the deck and the ground will inevitably hinder or accelerate the air flow. This in turn will have an impact on the aerodynamic forces on the deck, which may result in unexpected wind-induced responses of bridges. This phenomenon can be referred to "ground effects." So far, no systematic studies into ground effects on the wind-induced responses of closed box girders have been performed. In this paper, wind tunnel tests have been adopted to study the ground effects on the aerodynamic force coefficients and the wind-induced responses of a closed box girder. In correlation with the heights from the ground in two ground roughness, the aerodynamic force coefficients, the Strouhal number ($S_t$), the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) lock-in phenomena over a range of wind velocities, the VIV maximum amplitudes, the system torsional damping ratio, the flutter derivatives, the critical flutter wind speeds and their variation laws correlated with the heights from the ground of a closed box girder have been presented through wind tunnel tests. The outcomes show that the ground effects make the vortex-induced phenomena occur in advance and adversely affect the flutter stability.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.11-21
• /
• 2020

The hinge joint is the key to the overall cooperative working performance of the assembled beam bridge, and it is also the weakest part during the service period. This paper proposes a method for monitoring and evaluating the lateral cooperative working performance of fabricated beam bridges based on dynamic strain correlation coefficient indicator. This method is suitable for monitoring and evaluation of hinge joints status between prefabricated girders and overall cooperative working performance of bridge, without interruption of traffic and easy implementation. The remote cloud monitoring and diagnosis system was designed and implemented on a real assembled beam bridge. The algorithms of data preprocessing, online indicator extraction and status diagnosis were given, and the corresponding software platform and scientific computing environment for cloud operation were developed. Through the analysis of real bridge monitoring data, the effectiveness and accuracy of the method are proved and it can be used in the health monitoring system of such bridges.

• Korean Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.61-69
• /
• 2005

In the global ship structure and vibration analysis, the FE(finite element) analysis model is required in the early design stage before the 3D CAD model is defined. And the analysis model generation process is a time-consuming job and takes much more time than the engineering work itself. In particular, ship structure has too many associated structural members such as stringers, stiffness and girders etc. These structural members should be satisfied as the constraints in analysis modeling. Therefore it is necessary to support generation of analysis model with satisfying these constraints as an automatic manner. For the effective support of the global ship analysis modeling, a method to generate analysis model using initial design information within ship design process, that hull form offset data and compartment data, is developed. In order to easily handle initial design information and FE model information, flexible data structure is proposed. An automatic quadrilateral mesh generation algorithm using initial design information to satisfy the constraints imposed on the ship structure is also proposed. The proposed data structure and mesh generation algorithm are applied for the various type of vessels for the usability test. Through this test, we have verified the stability and usefulness of this system including mesh generation algorithm.