• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.495-505
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• 2009

Bridges form crucial links in the transportation network especially in high seismic risk regions. This research aims to provide a quantitative methodology for post-earthquake performance evaluation of the bridges. The experimental portion of the research involved shake table tests of a 4-span bridge which was subjected to progressively increasing amplitudes of seismic motions recorded from the Northridge earthquake. As part of this project, a high resolution long gauge fiber optic displacement sensor was developed for post-seismic evaluation of damage in the columns of the bridge. The nonlinear finite element model was developed using Opensees program to simulate the response of the bridge and the abutments to the seismic loads. The model was modified to predict the bent displacements of the bridge commensurate with the measured bent displacements obtained from experimental analysis results. Following seismic events, the tangential stiffness matrix of the whole structure is reduced due to reduction in structural strength. The nonlinear static push over analysis using current damaged stiffness matrix provides the longitudinal and transverse ultimate capacities of the bridge. Capacity loss in the transverse and longitudinal directions following the seismic events was correlated to the maximum displacements of the deck recorded during the events.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.35-51
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• 2020

Integral abutment bridges (IABs) are those bridges without expansion joints. A single row of steel H-piles (SHPs) is commonly used at the thin and stub abutments of IABs to form a flexible support system at the bridge ends to accommodate thermal-induced displacement of the bridge. Consequently, as the IAB expands and contracts due to temperature variations, the SHPs supporting the abutments are subjected to cyclic lateral (longitudinal) displacements, which may eventually lead to low-cycle fatigue (LCF) failure of the piles. In this paper, the potential of using finite element (FE) modeling techniques to estimate the LCF life of SHPs commonly used in IABs is investigated. For this purpose, first, experimental tests are conducted on several SHP specimens to determine their LCF life under thermal-induced cyclic flexural strains. In the experimental tests, the specimens are subjected to longitudinal displacements (or flexural strain cycles) with various amplitudes in the absence and presence of a typical axial load. Next, nonlinear FE models of the tested SHP specimens are developed using the computer program ANSYS to investigate the possibility of using such numerical models to predict the LCF life of SHPs commonly used in IABs. The comparison of FE analysis results with the experimental test results revealed that the FE analysis results are in close agreement with the experimental test results. Thus, FE modeling techniques similar to that used in this research study may be used to predict the LCF life of SHP commonly used in IABs.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.399-406
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• 2000

Viscous dampers have been utilized as bearings and STU`s (Shock Transmission Unit) in earthquake resistant designs for bridges. Some viscous dampers are used as energy dissipators on one hand, but some dampers such as STU`s are used as fixing devices during an earthquake on the other hand. This paper discusses the effect of viscous dampers on the response of bridge with respect to the magnitude of damping coefficients. For this purpose, a typical bridge was taken as an example, and time-history dynamic analysis have been carried out. The input seismic data used in the analyses are relevant to the response spectra in the Koreans design code. The results show that there is an optimum value of coefficient considered most effective in the design. A STU with a large value of coefficient seems to make its support fixed. The response of the bridge is not much sensitive to the variation of the damping coefficients.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.205-217
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• 2009

Aerodynamic flutter control for long-span cable-supported bridges was investigated based on three basic girder sections, i.e. streamlined box girder section, box girder section with cantilevered slabs and two-isolated-girder section. Totally four kinds of aerodynamic flutter control measures (adding fairings, central-slotting, adding central stabilizers and adjusting the position of inspection rail) were included in this research. Their flutter control effects on different basic girder sections were evaluated by sectional model or aeroelastic model wind tunnel tests. It is found that all basic girder sections can get aerodynamically more stabled with appropriate aerodynamic flutter control measures, while the control effects are influenced by the details of control measures and girder section configurations. The control effects of the combinations of these four kinds of aerodynamic flutter control measures, such as central-slotting plus central-stabilizer, were also investigated through sectional model wind tunnel tests, summarized and compared to the flutter control effect of single measure respectively.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.103-112
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• 1998

The earthquake resistant design for roadway bridges introduced in 1992 is conducted according to the "Standard Specification for Roadway Bridges", Division V, Seismic Design and the first revision of the Standard was done in 1996. However, dur to different concepts of the earthquake resistant design from those of the other designs, the provisions given in the Standard are still not applied appropriately. In this paper the verification of the earthquake resistant capacity of a bridge with typical configurations, 5-span steel box girder bridge, is carried out based on the application rules of the present Standard in order to provide clear understandings about the earthquake resistant verification and the earthquake resistant design as well.n as well.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.543-553
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• 2015

The condition of the vehicular bridge network in New York City, as represented by ratings obtained during biennial inspections is reviewed over a period of three decades. Concurrently, the bridges comprising the network are considered as networks of structural elements whose condition defines the overall bridge condition according to New York State assumptions. A knowledge-based matrix of assessments is used in order to determine each element's vulnerability and impact within the network of an individual structure and the network of City bridges. In both networks expansion deck joints emerge as the weak link. Typical joint failures are illustrated. Bridge management options for maintenance, preservation, rehabilitation and replacement are examined in the context of joint performance.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 2011

For the earthquake resistance design designer should provide that structural yielding process is principally designed with the ductile failure mechanism. In order to get the ductile failure mechanism for typical bridges, pier columns yielding should occur before that of connections. However domestic bridge design with unnecessary stiff substructure leads to unnecessary seismic loads and makes it difficult to get the ductile failure mechanism. Such a problem arises from the situation that earthquake resistant design is not carried out in the preliminary design step. In this study a typical bridge is selected as an analysis bridge and design strengths for connections and pier columns are determined in the preliminary design step by carrying out earthquake resistant design. It is shown through this procedure that it is possible to get the ductile failure mechanism with structural members determined by other design.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.141-151
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• 2003

Railway bridges are subject to dynamic loads generated by the interaction between moving vehicles and the bridge structures. These dynamic loads result in response fluctuations in bridge members. To investigate the real dynamic behavior of the bridge, therefore, a number of analytical and experimental Investigations should be carried out. In this paper, a train/track/bridge interaction analysis program for evaluating the dynamic characteristics of bridges due to KTX operation in terms of structural safety, operational safety and passenger comfort is developed. To build a practical model of train/track/bridge, Hertzian spring for wheel/rail contact modeling and Winkler element for ballast are applied. This program also used torsional degree of freedom and constraint equation based on geometrical relationship in order to take into consideration three-dimensional eccentricity effect due to the operation on double track through quasi-three dimensional analysis. To verify the developed Program, comparison has been made between the measured results and those of simulation of the typical PSC box bridge(2@40m=80m) of the KHSR bridges.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.249-274
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• 2015

Long-span cable-stayed bridges exhibit some features which are more critical than typical long span bridges such as geometric and aerodynamic nonlinearities, higher probability of the presence of multiple vehicles on the bridge, and more significant influence of wind loads acting on the ultra high pylon and super long cables. A three-dimensional nonlinear fully-coupled analytical model is developed in this study to improve the dynamic performance prediction of long cable-stayed bridges under combined traffic and wind loads. The modified spectral representation method is introduced to simulate the fluctuating wind field of all the components of the whole bridge simultaneously with high accuracy and efficiency. Then, the aerostatic and aerodynamic wind forces acting on the whole bridge including the bridge deck, pylon, cables and even piers are all derived. The cellular automation method is applied to simulate the stochastic traffic flow which can reflect the real traffic properties on the long span bridge such as lane changing, acceleration, or deceleration. The dynamic interaction between vehicles and the bridge depends on both the geometrical and mechanical relationships between the wheels of vehicles and the contact points on the bridge deck. Nonlinear properties such as geometric nonlinearity and aerodynamic nonlinearity are fully considered. The equations of motion of the coupled wind-traffic-bridge system are derived and solved with a nonlinear separate iteration method which can considerably improve the calculation efficiency. A long cable-stayed bridge, Sutong Bridge across the Yangze River in China, is selected as a numerical example to demonstrate the dynamic interaction of the coupled system. The influences of the whole bridge wind field as well as the geometric and aerodynamic nonlinearities on the responses of the wind-traffic-bridge system are discussed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.74 no.5
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• pp.635-655
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• 2020

The sag effect of long stay cables is one of the key factors restricting further increase in the span of cable-stayed bridges. Based on the formerly proposed concept of long stay cables lifted by an auxiliary suspension cable in cross-strait cable-stayed bridges, corresponding static approximate calculations and analytical theory based on catenary and parabolic cable configurations are established. Taking a main span 1400 m cable-stayed bridge as the research object, three typical lifting conditions and the whole process of auxiliary cable lifting are analyzed and discussed. The results show that the sag effect is effectively reduced. The support efficiency is only improved when the cables are lifted above the original cable chord. Reduction of the horizontal component force of the cable is limited. The equivalent elastic modulus and the vertical support stiffness of the lifted cables are significantly increased with increased horizontal projection length and not sensitive to the change of the lifting point position. The scheme of lifting the cable to the chord midpoint is more economical because of the less steel required for the auxiliary suspension cable, but its effect on improving the vertical support efficiency is limited. The support efficiency is better when the cable is lifted to the cable end tangential to the original cable chord, but the lifting force and the cross-sectional area of the auxiliary suspension cable are doubled. The approximate calculation results of the lifted cables are very close to the numerical analysis results, which verifies the applicability of the approximation method proposed in this study. The results of parabolic approximation calculations are approximately equal to that of catenary cable geometry. As the parabolic approximation analysis theory of lifted cables is more convenient in mathematical processing, it is feasible to use parabolic approximation analysis theory as the analytical method for the conceptual design of lifted cables of super-long span cable-stayed bridges.