• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.139-149
• /
• 2022

To simplify the design and reduce the construction cost of traditional multi-girder structural systems, twin I-girder structures are widely used in many countries in recent years. Due to the concern on post-fracture redundancy, however, twin girder bridges are currently classified as fracture critical structures in AASHTO specifications for highway bridges. To investigate the after-fracture behavior of such structures, a composite steel and concrete twin girder specimen was built and an artificial fracture through the web and the bottom flange was created on one main girder. The static loading test was performed to investigate its mechanical performance after a severe fracture occurred on the main girder. Applied load and vertical displacement curves, and the applied load versus strain relationships at key sections were measured. To investigate the load distribution and transfer capacities between two steel girders, the normal strain development on crossbeams was also measured during the loading test. In addition, both shear and normal strains of studs were also measured in the loading test to explore the behavior of shear connectors in such bridges. The functions and structural performance of structural members and possible load transfer paths after main girder fractures in such bridges were also discussed. The test results indicate in this study that a typical twin I-girder can resist a general fracture on one of its two main girders. The presented results can provide references for post-fracture performance and optimization for the design of twin I-girder bridges and similar structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.71 no.4
• /
• pp.433-444
• /
• 2019

Shear studs are often used to connect steel girders and concrete deck to form a composite bridge system. The application of precast concrete deck to steel-concrete composite bridges can improve the strength of decks and reduce the shrinkage and creep effect on the long-term behavior of structures. How to ensure the connection between steel girders and concrete deck directly influences the composite behavior between steel girder and precast concrete deck as well as the behavior of the structure system. Compared with traditional multi-I girder systems, a twin-I girder composite bridge system is more simplified but may lead to additional requirements on the shear studs connecting steel girders and decks due to the larger girder spacing. Up to date, only very limited quantity of researches has been conducted regarding the behavior of shear studs on twin-I girder bridge systems. One convenient way for steel composite bridge system is to cast concrete deck in place with shear studs uniformly-distributed along the span direction. For steel composite bridge system using precast concrete deck, voids are included in the precast concrete deck segments, and they are casted with cast-in-place concrete after the concrete segments are erected. In this paper, several sets of push-out tests are conducted, which are used to investigate the heavier of shear studs within the voids in the precast concrete deck. The test data are analyzed and compared with those from finite element models. A simplified shear stud model is proposed using a beam element instead of solid elements. It is used in the finite element model analyses of the twin-I girder composite bridge system to relieve the computational efforts of the shear studs. Additionally, a parametric study is developed to find the effects of void size, void spacing, and shear stud diameter and spacing. Finally, the recommendations are given for the design of precast deck using void for twin I-girder bridge systems.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.223-243
• /
• 2010

This paper reports recent developments concerning the application of Generalised Beam Theory (GBT) to the structural analysis of steel-concrete composite bridges. The potential of GBT-based semi-analytical or finite element-based analyses in this field is illustrated/demonstrated by showing that both accurate and computationally efficient solutions may be achieved for a wide range of structural problems, namely those associated with the bridge (i) linear (first-order) static, (ii) vibration and (iii) lateral-torsional-distortional buckling behaviours. Several illustrative examples are presented, which concern bridges with two distinct cross-sections: (i) twin box girder and (ii) twin I-girder. Allowance is also made for the presence of discrete box diaphragms and both shear lag and shear connection flexibility effects.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.437-450
• /
• 2018

A bridge comprising of two girders, such as a twin steel box-girder bridge, is classified as fracture critical (i.e., non-redundant). In this study, the various bridge components of the twin steel box-girder bridge are investigated to determine if these could be utilized to improve bridge redundancy. Detailed finite-element (FE) models, capable of simulating prominent failure modes observed in a full-scale bridge fracture test, are utilized to evaluate the contributions of the bridge components on the ultimate behavior and redundancy of the bridge sustaining a fracture on one of its girders. The FE models incorporate material nonlinearities of the steel and concrete members, and are capable of capturing the effects of the stud connection failure and railing contact. Analysis results show that the increased tensile strength of the stud connection and (or) concrete strength are effective in improving bridge redundancy. By modulating these factors, redundancy could be significantly enhanced to the extent that the bridge may be excluded from its fracture critical designation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.137-146
• /
• 2006

In this paper, a numerical study on the evaluation of the redundancy according to the dimension and spacing of cross beams in the composite twin steel plate girder bridges that are generally recognized as a non-redundant load path structures, has been performed. Specifically, a two-lane three-span continuous (40+50+40m) bridge with I-section cross beams which serve as cross bracing, and without a lateral bracing were considered. The material and geometric nonlinear analyses were conducted to evaluate the ultimate loading capacity of the intact and damaged bridge in which one of the two girders is seriously fractured. Through the numerical analyses, it was recognized that there is little difference in redundancy according to the variation of the dimension and spacing of the cross beams for both intact and damaged bridges.

• Journal of KIBIM
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.13-22
• /
• 2018

Future performance prediction of bridges is challenging task for structural engineers. Well-organized information from design, construction and operation stages is essential for the assessment of structures. Digital twin model is a new concept to realize more reliable data platform for management of infrastructures. Damage history including degradation of material, cracking, corrosion, etc. needs to be accumulated in the digital model. The digital model is linked to the analysis model for the assessment of structural performance considering changed mechanical properties of structural components. In this paper, initial definition digital twin model of a PSC-I girder bridge is proposed.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.173-182
• /
• 2006

In the design of curved girder bridges, the engineer is faced with a complex stress situatiorl. since these types of mutiple-I girder. mono-box girder and twin-box girder are subjected to both bending and torsional force. In general, the torsional forces consist of two part, St. venant's and warping. Thus the procedure for determining the induced stresses in a curved girder is difficult. The transfer matrix method is extensively used for the structural analysis because its merit in the theoretical background and applicability. The technique is attractive for implementation on a numerical solution by means of a computer program coded in Fortran language with a few elements. To demonstrate this fact. it gives good results which compare well with finite difference method. Therefore, in this paper, to clarify the range where the torsional warping stress can be approximated by pure torsional analyzed a critical value of relationships between the torsional stress ratio and torsional ratio.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.18 no.5
• /
• pp.515-524
• /
• 2006

Cross-sectional distortions take place when steel box girders a re subjected to torsional moment, as a consequence of which distortional warping stresses are necessarily developed. Additional normal stresses due to the distortion are should be included at the design stage. The relative magnitude with respect to the maximum bending stress are kept less than the specific values, i.e., at 5~10%, by properly spaced intermediate diaphragms that could prevent the distortional deformation of the box girder. However, current design equations for the stiffness of intermediate diaphragms were derived based on BEF. In this study, the area required by the intermediate diaphragm members are investigated through three-dimensional finite element analyses. The results of the analyses indicate that the current equations give to conservative values for the intermediate diaphragm of box girder bridges. Finally, an improved equation for the area of the intermediate diaphragm is derived from a regression analysis from the finite element analysis results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.1237-1257
• /
• 2016

The paper concerns analysis of effects of shrinkage of slab concrete in a steel-concrete composite deck of a through truss bridge span. Attention is paid to the shrinkage alongside the span, i.e., transverse to steel-concrete composite cross-beams. So far this aspect has not been given much attention in spite of the fact that it affects not only steel-concrete decks of bridges but also steel-concrete floors of steel frame building structures. For the problem analysis a two-dimensional model is created. An analytical method is presented in detail. A set of linear equations is built to compute axial forces in members of truss girder flange and transverse shear forces in steel-concrete composite beams. Finally a case study is shown: test loading of twin railway truss bridge spans is described, verified FEM model of the spans is presented and computational results of FEM and the analytical method are compared. Conclusions concerning applicability of the presented analytical method to practical design are drawn. The presented analytical method provides satisfactory accuracy of results in comparison with the verified FEM model.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.154-161
• /
• 2012

The damping ratio of railway bridge has become one of the most important issues in dynamic design and dynamic stability of railway bridge. In the present study, laboratory and field test were performed for railway bridges such as a twin I-shaped steel composite girder, PSC box, steel box, PSC, IPC, PRECOM, preflex. The damping ratio of railway bridge according to structure types was estimated by logarithmic decrement method. Therefore, magnitude, frequency and amplitude of load did not affect damping ratio of railway bridge. Also, damping ratio limit of steel composite and PSC bridges was evaluated in 1.0%.