bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non linear probabilistic analysis of reinforced concrete structures
Authors: Campos e Matos José , Valente Isabel Brito , Cruz Paulo Sousa
Published: October 2011

The behaviour of reinforced concrete bridges is doted of uncertainty as main parameters, like the ones related to material properties, are variable and not deterministic. In order to take this into consideration, a non linear probabilistic analysis should be developed. This paper presents an application of it on the evaluation of the structural behaviour of two batches of reinforced concrete beams, which were loaded, in laboratory, up to failure. However, when performing it, a previous attention must be paid to the intervenient parameters. In fact, on the one hand it is important to consider the highest number of parameters as possible but, on the other hand, this implies higher computational costs. In order to avoid this, it is essential to identify, by developing a sensitivity analysis, all critical parameters. A comparison of numerical results with obtained experimental data is executed, being, the advantages of such kind of analysis, pointed out.
Use of monitoring data for a probabilistic analysis of structures
Authors: Braml Thomas , Keuser Manfred , Mangerig Ingbert
Published: October 2011

Probabilistic analyses are becoming more and more important in civil engineering. A Probabilistic analysis can be used for the calibration of partial safety factors of the semi probabilistic safety concept of current codes as well as in the context of sustainability evaluations of existing buildings or bridges. The probability of failure, pf or the safety index β of the system, respectively are the main results of the calculation procedure of a probabilistic analysis. If more information from a structure are available, the uncertainty for the loads and the resistance decrease. For a probabilistic analysis the coefficient of variation for the considered basic variables may become smaller. With the new developments for a commercial use of sensors and of monitoring equipment in the last years the measurement of the parameters of a structure can be done very well. The paper shows the procedure of such an calcualtion and demonstrates the advantage of the use of monitoring data in an example.
Media City Footbridge, Salford Quays
Authors: Curran Peter , Thompson Steve
Published: October 2011

This paper examines aspects of a new moving footbridge over the Manchester Ship Canal in the City of Salford, and its role in urban regeneration and development. The Media City Footbridge is an asymmetric cable stayed swing bridge of approximately 65m main span providing pedestrian access over the ship canal into the heart of the new Media City Development at Salford Quays.

This paper describes how the Media City footbridge has been designed to respond to the particular geometrical constraints of its location. The proposal is highly contextual and unique and provides a spectacular southern pedestrian gateway to the Media City development. The bridge also addresses anticipated future development at Trafford Wharf to the south of the Manchester Ship Canal and in conjunction with the existing Lowry Bridge enhances pedestrian links for the area as a whole, celebrating the heritage of the Manchester Ship Canal as a living amenity.
Experimental and Analytical Study of Push-out Shear Tests in Ultra Shallow Floor Beams
Authors: Huo Bing Yu , D'Mello Cedric , Tsavdaridis Konstantinos-Daniel
Published: October 2011

The Ultra Shallow Floor Beam is a new type of composite floor beam fabricated by welding two highly asymmetric cellular tees together along the web and incorporating a concrete slab between the top and bottom flanges. The unique features of this system are circular and elongated web openings that allow tie-bars, building services and ducts passing through the structural depth of the beam. For the composite beam in bending, the longitudinal shear force is transferred by a unique shear mechanism which results from the special configuration of the beam, and shear connectors, if they are present. The work reported in this paper includes a total of 16 full-scale push-out tests aimed at investigating the longitudinal shear behaviour of these beams and the effects of additional shear connectors. A theoretical analysis was also performed to investigate the failure mechanism of the system.
Mechanical Behaviors Analysis on a Arch Rib Segment of Yongjiang Bridge in the Eastern-Outer-Ring of Ningbo City
Authors: Chen Kang-Ming , Wu Qing-Xiong , Chen Bao-Chun , Nakamura Shozo
Published: October 2011

Based on Yongjiang Bridge in the easten-outer-Ring of Ningbo City, a reduced scale-model with the reducing proportion of 1/4 of its arch rib segment was produced, then a loading test on which is conducted to understand the local unstability mechanism and actual bearing capacity of the arch rib. The result shows that the arch rib is designed rationally and will work safely.
The Recent Improvement of High-Speed Railway Bridges in China
Authors: Dai Gonglian , Hu Nan , Liu Wenshuo
Published: October 2011

Based on the study of Wuhan-Guangzhou passenger Line and Beijing-Shanghai Passenger line, in this paper, the technical feature and new improvement of high-speed railway (HSR) bridges in China has been introduced from following aspects: First, two major design code (Temporary Provision for Passenger Railway Line of 200-250 Km/h and 300-350 Km/h) has been compared, under the current HSR bridge design specifications on the issue of main contents and technical indexes. Second, based on real projects, the technical characteristic of standard span prestressed concrete girder bridge for high-speed railway has been summarized, including layout of span, section types. Meanwhile, both ballast and non-ballast bridge has been studied on technical feature and material consumption. Third, this paper summarized substructures and foundation, and discussed the standardization of continuous beam bridge and construction diversity. Finally, the technical feature of several four-lane large bridges in high-speed railway lines has been introduced, including Tianxingzhou Bridge in Wuhan, Dashengguan Bridge in Nanjing, etc. In spite of this improvement, there are still numerous problems and challenge during designing of high-speed railway bridge. By reviewing and further research, a better solution will be found and applied in future projects.
On the Development of Structural Criticism through Case Studies
Authors: Payá-Zaforteza Ignacio
Published: October 2011

Traditionally, Structural Engineering education has been focused on the technical aspects of the profession and has given little attention to creativity, aesthetics and structural criticism. However, if the engineer wants to properly accomplish his/her role in society, the development of these competences among the students and the engineering profession is of major importance.

This paper focuses on the use of case studies to develop Structural Criticism and is based on the concept of Structural Art developed by D.P. Billington. The case studies presented in the paper have been used with great success by the author in a general course on building structural analysis, and abundant graphic information and references are included. In doing so, the methodology can also be used by other engineering professors and professionals interested in spreading the knowledge of Structural Criticism.
Evaluation of Critical Loads of Steel Frames using Iterative Buckling Analysis
Authors: Choi Dong-Ho , Yoo Hoon , Gwon Sun Gil
Published: October 2011

This paper proposes a new method of inelastic buckling analysis to determine the critical load of steel frames. The inelastic analysis includes a modified bifurcation stability using the tangent modulus theory and a column strength curve. The inelastic buckling analysis can consider geometric imperfections or residual stresses in a steel frame by using the column strength curve. Criteria for inelastic buckling analysis are suggested in order to account for the effect of the primary moment as well as the axial force of members by using beam-column interaction equations. Conventional elastic buckling analysis and refined plastic hinge analysis were carried out to validate the proposed inelastic buckling analysis for simple columns with geometric imperfections and a four-story plane frame.
Design of the Forth Replacement Crossing, Scotland, UK
Authors: Kite Steve , Carter Matt , Hussain Naeem
Published: October 2011

The Forth Replacement Crossing will be built across the Firth of Forth in Scotland to maintain and enhance a vital transport link. The wide estuary will be crossed by a cable stayed bridge with 3 towers and a pair of 650 m main spans. In the centre of each main span the stay cables will overlap to stabilise the central tower, a unique design feature for a bridge of this scale.

The scheme design of the crossing has been carried out by the Jacobs Arup joint venture in accordance with the Eurocodes and project specific design criteria. The structure will provide a fitting 21st century icon, to stand alongside the existing cantilever rail bridge from the 19th century and road suspension bridge from the 20th century, both Grade A listed bridges.
Engineering and Architecture unite for Railway Bridge
Authors: Rapattoni Frank , Giannini Eli , Dauth John
Published: October 2011

The duplication of an existing railway bridge over an urban creek valley in Clifton Hill, a Melbourne suburb (Australia), presented a number of challenges and opportunities to improve an environmentally sensitive area with an inspired design of the new bridge and the surrounding landscape. The concept design for the bridge was developed by MGS architects who were engaged by the Department of Transport. The John Holland Group won the tender for the detailed design and construction of the bridge and associated works. PB carried out the detailed design of the project.

The existing structure is a multi-span steel girder bridge built in the 1880’s. The new bridge consists of steel girders with a composite concrete slab supporting a ballasted railway track and has been detailed to complement the existing bridge whilst adding art motifs and heritage elements in the design. The spans are three times longer than those of the original bridge hence the girders are much deeper. In order to reduce the visual bulk of the deeper girders the architect proposed numerous circular holes in the web with patterns reminiscent of air bubbles in water. With no guidance in any of the published bridge design standards this unprecedented design required fast- tracked research and in-depth analysis to ensure the structural adequacy of the girders subjected to high rail loads.

This paper discusses the design process and the inspiration for the various architectural treatments, the structural analysis and considerations which led to the final design of the girders and the safe, fast construction methods which overcame the limited access and restrictions imposed by rail operations.

The delivery model for the project was successful in meeting the expectations of the key stakeholders and contributed to safe, fast construction on time and on budget. The careful consideration of both the function and context of the bridge has produced an innovative union of engineering and architecture.
Experimental and Computational Studies on Steel Beam End Framing Connections in Fire
Authors: Hu Guanyu , Engelhardt Michael D.
Published: October 2011

This paper summarizes the results of on-going research on the behavior of simple beam end framing connections in steel buildings subjected to fire. In this study, the behavior of single plate connections under elevated temperatures is studied both by experiments and by finite element analysis. Experiments are being conducted to better understand the load-deformation response and controlling failure modes of the connection at elevated temperatures. Test results are compared to modified limit state design equations from the AISC Specification. Finite element models are also being developed and validated by the experimental results. This paper will presents key results from the investigations conducted to date.
TMD Method of Construction for the Cable Stayed Bridge in the Environmentally Constrained Areas
Authors: Kim Young-Min , Kwak Young-Hak , Kim Dae-Young , Joo Seok-Jun , Kim Yun-Seok
Published: October 2011

The TMD (Tuned Mass Damper) method of construction is proposed to the cable stayed bridge or the similar structure to suppress the wind-induced vibrations and ensure the aerodynamic stability. This stabilizing method of construction by TMD does not need any foundations. Thus it could solve the environmentally constrained problems by excavation or dredge of the ground and the risk of the traffic collisions. Moreover, it is more economical and workable in comparison with the temporary tied-down cables. It is shown that the vibration control by TMD is the most efficient solution to stabilize the bridge during construction regarding wind.

The three-pylon cable stayed bridge at the Busan~Geoje Fixed Link in the south-eastern part of Korea is introduced to show the example for the application of the TMD method of construction to solve the environmentally constrained problems.
Structural Safety of Reinforced Concrete Structures Designed Following the ACI 318 Code
Authors: Tabsh Sami
Published: October 2011

Reinforced concrete buildings around the world are often designed following the ACI 318 code. Among the recent changes in the code is the acceptance of the ASCE7 load factors, together with new resistance factors. In this study, the safety of reinforced concrete members designed following the 2008 edition of ACI 318 code is investigated using the reliability index. Probabilistic load and resistance models are obtained from the available literature. The flexure and shear limit states at ultimate are considered. A wide range of longitudinal and transverse reinforcement ratios are investigated. Reliability indices of typical reinforced concrete members are computed for a range of live-to-dead load ratios, with and without wind. The results of the study showed that the reliability index for reinforced concrete members designed following the ACI 318 code is non- uniform, especially when the live-to-dead load ratio is low. It ranges between 3.5 and 4.5 for the case of flexure, and between 4.0 and 5.5 for the case of shear.
A design procedure for the seismic protection of infilled frames by dissipative braces
Authors: Bergami Alessandro V. , Nuti Camillo
Published: October 2011

Existing reinforced concrete frame buildings with non-ductile detailing suffered severe damage and caused loss of life during earthquakes. Different rehabilitation systems have been developed to upgrade the seismic performance of this kind of structures. The research discussed in this paper, carried out under the partial financial support of “convenzione Dipartimento di Protezione Civile- Consorzio RELUIS, signed 11/07/2005 (repertorio n. 540), research line 2, deals with the seismic protection of frame structures, in particular for the application presented buckling restrained steel braces (BRB) have been selected. A displacement-based procedure to design dissipative bracing for the seismic protection of frame structures is proposed and some applications are discussed. A two- fold performance objective is considered to protect the structure against the collapse and the non- structural damage by limiting global displacements and interstorey drifts. As an example, some r.c. frame buildings, designed according to the non-seismic Italian Code, have been analyzed also considering the infills and retrofitted with BRB via the proposed procedure. In order to assess the effectiveness of the proposed rehabilitation design procedure non linear static and dynamic time- history analyses have been performed. Concluding the necessity of performing dynamic analysis, instead of non linear static analysis, on structures with dissipative bracing systems has been discussed.
System reliability evaluation of long-span cable-stayed bridges
Authors: Cheng Jin , Liu Xiao-Luan , Xiao Ru-Cheng
Published: October 2011

The long span cable-stayed bridges exhibit important geometric nonlinearity that should be considered in their analysis and design. Unless simplifying assumptions are made, system reliability evaluation of these structures is complex and can be very time consuming. This paper proposed an approximate method to conduct system reliability analysis of long span cable-stayed bridges. The method integrates the advantages of the response surface method (RSM), finite element method (FEM), β-unzipping method and the improved product of conditional marginal (I-PCM) method. The accuracy and efficiency of the method is demonstrated through one numerical example. Then the method is used to evaluate the system reliability of cable-stayed bridges. The example cable- stayed bridge is the Sutong Bridge with a main span length of 1088 m built in China. The obtained results clearly show the applicability and merits of the proposed method.
Combination of Multiple Non-Linearities in Structural Modelling, Simulation and Assessment Work
Authors: Wenzel Helmut
Published: October 2011

System identification methodologies have reached a mature state. Damage detection has been the key topic of recent research work in this field. Learning from evolution of dynamic characteristic throughout the damage process, one can validate damage detection methods or set benchmark studies for typical aging processes of a structure. When dynamics gain a guiding role in the behaviour of a structure our conventional approaches fail. The influence of the various non- linearities can not be neglected anymore. This paper is determined to describe a number of these non-linearities and their embedment into the system identification procedure. The results show that changes of natural frequencies are clearly visible, but not a reliable identification approach.

Identifying the non-linearities helps to identify damage at an early stage and enables even damage quantification, location and most important remaining lifetime prediction.
Shaking Table Test of Viaduct Model and its Numerical Analysis Focusing on Damping Modeling
Authors: Nakajima Akinori , Kasamatsu Masaki , Yokokawa Hideaki
Published: October 2011

In this research, we attempt to propose the introducing method of damping property of the viaduct system based on its damping mechanism. In this method, the damping factors of the viaduct system such as the internal material damping and the hysteresis damping of the pier and the superstructure, the frictional damping of the movable bearing and energy absorption at the base of the pier are incorporated into the numerical model of the integrated bridge structure. In order to confirm the validity of the method, we conduct the shaking table test of the simple specimen of the viaduct which includes the various damping factors, and conduct the dynamic response analysis of the corresponding numerical model employing the proposed damping modeling. The proposed damping modeling method can reproduce the elastic and inelastic behavior of the viaduct model employed in the shaking table test.
Strengthening large concrete box-girder bridge on shear
Authors: Vergoossen Rob , Sliedrecht Henk , Kuilboer Cor
Published: October 2011

In the Rijkswaterstaat Programme “Widening of the Roads”, the road capacity on the bridges across the Low-Rhine has to be increased. Because of the resulting increase on traffic loads the bridges had to be structural assessed. At the same time a large amount of diagonal cracks in the webs of the twin box-girders were discovered. These shear-like cracks are located near almost every pier of the approach spans. The conclusion of a roughly recalculation was that the capacity on bending and

shear was very much insufficient. To prevent brittle collapse of the cantilever at the expansion joints, temporarily piers were situated at these positions. Furthermore extensive in depth structural assessments were performed close before and partly parallel to the contracting process for the strengthening. In a very short period a design for strengthening of the bridges on shear was made.

Coming year the bridges are strengthened and the road capacity on the deck is increased.
Impact absorbing damper to suppress bridge vibration at joints
Authors: Osafune Toshikazu , Nakamura Shunichi , Tanaka Katsunori
Published: October 2011

Noise and vibration emit when a large lorry passes the expansion joints on road bridges, causing serious environmental problems. Field measurements were conducted on the road bridge, showing that the dominant frequency was 13.3Hz when vehicles ran over the joints. A new type of damper, the impact absorbing damper based on momentum exchanging mechanism, has been proposed to suppress the vibration occurred at the expansion joints. This damper system consists of the contact device between the RC slab and the additional mass with springs and oil dampers. When the vehicle wheel hits the expansion joints, the impact force is directly transferred to the attached mass through the contact device due to the momentum exchanging property, and then the energy produced by impact forces are dissipated by the oil dampers. Parametric experimental studies were conducted using a model consisting of the damper system and the RC slab which was impacted by a free-fall weight. The tests show optimum values of consisting elements of this damping system, such as materials of the contact device, mass ratio of the additional mass, damping ratio, spring constants and impact forces. Then, the impact absorbing dampers were installed in an actual bridge, and its suppression effect was measured. The model and field tests show that the new damper system is feasible and effective in reducing the vibration and noise levels.
Improvement of Serviceability by Strengthening with Prestressed NSM
Authors: Vorwagner Alois , Burtscher Stefan L.
Published: October 2011

Carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) are often used for strengthening. In most applications the CFRP-reinforcements are externally bonded (EBR) to the structure. An improvement can be achieved by near surface mounted CFRP (NSM), due to the better bond behaviour. Further improvements can be obtained by prestressing, for example: utilization of the high strength, activation of dead loads and much lower deflections, without losing ductility by approaching the ultimate load (if appropriately designed). The advantage of a delayed cracking of concrete and yielding of the steel reinforcement leads to lower crack widths, higher durability and an increase in the serviceability load. Durability is further enhanced by the “bond anchorage”, where no corrosive materials are applied to the structure.
Monitoring of the Vienna Erdberger Bridge
Authors: Geier Roman
Published: October 2011

The guarantee of reliability and road safety of civil engineering structures is an important task within the building industry so that bearing structures can be safely used as long as possible even on condition of increasing traffic loads. There are specific standards and codes for the monitoring and control of civil engineering structures, in particular for bridges. Certain monitoring technologies based on the most different models have been elaborated in the past. In the last couple of years however they have developed especially procedures centered on the recording of vibration response, still the acceptance from part of the practitioners was but limited. Experience has proven that these procedures needed a major change in order for the technologies to be applied more often. The present report presents details on the benefit of monitoring for bridge maintenance based on the example of the Vienna Erdberger Bridge.
Trillizos Bridges (The Triplets) in La Paz, Bolivia
Authors: Sobrino Juan A.
Published: October 2011

The construction of a ring road allowing traffic decongestion in the city of La Paz, Bolivia is currently being finished. The new road should save three parallel valleys with bridges. These three consecutive bridges have similar characteristics and therefore they are called Trillizos (the Triplets). They all are three-span extradosed concrete structures, with maximum span of 113,5m. They are built through balanced cantilever method. The aesthetic, functional, environmental and construction aspects condition and define them. This paper describes the bridges, the design criteria and the construction process.
Traversina Footbridge – A wooden stairway crossing a gorge
Authors: Conzett Jürg , Vogel Thomas
Published: October 2011

The Traversina Footbridge serves a public footpath in the central part of the Grisons (Switzerland), famous for its attractive landscape. At its site the profile of the valley is asymmetric, with a vertical north flank and a steep hillside in the south. The most appropriate solution was a suspension bridge supporting an angled walkway in the form of a long stair, thus shortening the span. Establishing the appropriate level of comfort for the hiker has been one of the most demanding aspects of the design. The elevated position of the bridge and the unusually long and steep steps called for a somewhat higher standard of feeling of safety. The design of this project was influenced to a large extent by the possibilities and conditions of erection, too.
Urban Bridges-Latest Experiences in Andalusia
Authors: Castillo Alejandro , Escamilla Manuel , Osborne Gonzalo , Calleja Carlos , Montero Guillermo , Ramirez Francisco J.
Published: October 2011

Andalusia, the southern region of Spain, has an ancient history, magnificent monuments and a prolific culture. This region has developed an ambitious infrastructure improving plan, concerning every facility and mean of transport. Bridges have a preeminent role in all of these interventions, and their design needs to deal, in a very conscious way, with a rich natural environment and with an outstanding cultural heritage that configure the historic patrimony of the area. For all these reasons, it is appealing to analyse how to develop a bridge project in such an attractive and, at the same time, sensitive environment, especially in urban areas where the conjunction of nature and cultural heritage takes place. The study of a few representative examples is tackled, focusing in the key aspects involved in the achievement of a successful project, not only respecting the surrounding conditions, but also increasing the objective and subjective value of the place.
The Research of Numerical Simulation of Concrete Durability
Authors: Chen Airong , Pan Zichao
Published: October 2011

The technology of numerical simulation becomes the focus of study in concrete durability gradually since it can help the engineers to evaluate the durability performance of concrete structure without experiments. Some important achievements in the fields of chloride penetration, concrete carbonation and steel corrosion are reviewed in this paper. A new computer program called the Numerical Simulation System of Concrete Durability, as well as its applications in detailed structure design, mechanism study and durability evaluation is also briefly introduced.
Experimental investigation of the seismic response of repaired r.c. bridges by means of pseudodynamic tests
Authors: Lavorato Davide , Nuti Camillo , Santini Silvia
Published: October 2011

Some techniques for repairing and retrofitting of specimens in scale 1:6 of the most stressed r.c. circular piers of a bridge designed according to Italian Code before 1986 severely damaged after previous pseudodynamic and cyclic tests, are described. The specimens have been repaired using epoxy adhesive, stainless steel rebars, self compacting concrete, strengthened with CFRP wrapping and again tested by pseudodynamic, under the seismic action used for first tests on undamaged specimen. In the pseudodynamic test, one repaired and retrofitted pier specimen is physically tested, while the rest of the bridge is numerically simulated using an in-house apparatus here described. Finally, the seismic behaviour of the retrofitted bridge piers has been compared to the seismic behaviour of the original piers and to the first numerical results of a detailed fiber model built in OpenSees.
Test and analysis of the precast composite RC shear wall
Authors: Li Jianbao , Lu Xilin , Liang Lin
Published: October 2011

In this paper, 9 specimens of precast composite RC shear wall and 3 compared specimens of normal RC wall were tested under low frequency cyclic load to study the structural behaviour of the precast composite RC shear wall and its difference from that of the normal cast-in-place RC wall. By observing the test phenomena and analyzing the test data, it is found that the precast composite RC shear wall has reliable structural behaviour and can be used as structural elements instead of normal cast-in-place RC wall in some cases. Furthermore, the test result also proves that it is reliable to design the precast composite RC wall according to the existing Chinese Design Code.
Long term dynamic monitoring of a PSC box girder bridge
Authors: Cury Alexandre , Crémona Christian
Published: October 2011

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) aims to determine whether damage is present or not based on the analysis of measured dynamic characteristics of a monitored system. Normal changes are usually caused by modifications in environmental conditions such as humidity, wind and most important, temperature. Conversely, abnormal changes are generally caused by the presence of damage i.e. loss of structural mass and/or stiffness. This paper reports on the effect of temperature changes on the natural frequencies of the PI-57 motorway bridge located at Senlis, France. Dynamic measurements were carried out during almost two years and the goal is to develop a methodology for separating environmental influences from possible damage events. Hence, several regression and model fitting methods are used such as multiple linear regression and neural networks. It is observed that possible structural modifications show up as outliers in the statistical frequency-temperature relations.
Critical Temperatures for Splitting of FRP-reinforced Concrete with Thermal Expansion
Authors: Pothisiri Thanyawat
Published: October 2011

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars have been widely used as substitutes for traditional steel bars to prevent reinforced concrete structures from corrosive environments. However, under elevated temperatures, the low compatibility of transverse coefficients of thermal expansion between FRP and concrete can cause splitting of the concrete cover. As a result, the bonding of FRP-reinforced concrete may not sustain its function to transfer load between the FRP rebar and the surrounding concrete.

The current study investigates the splitting resistance of FRP-reinforced concrete against the thermal expansion based on a mechanical model. The proposed model adopts the thick-wall cylinder theory by subdividing the concrete cover into two zones, i.e. cracked and uncracked. The concrete that does not crack is considered to sustain its elastic behaviour whereas the tensile softening behavior is employed for cracked concrete. The proposed model is then used to estimate the critical temperature increment at which the splitting failure of the concrete cover occurs. The predicted critical temperature increments are compared with the results obtained from the previous experiments and formulations. A simplified equation for estimating the critical temperature increments is also derived for the design purpose. Based on the critical temperature increments, structural engineers can evaluate the safety of FRP-reinforced concrete members from concrete splitting under elevated temperatures.
Creep Analysis of Encased CFST Arch Bridges, A Case Study of Wanxian Yangtze River Bridge
Authors: Shrestha Krishna Man , Chen Bao Chun
Published: October 2011

Encased CFST (Concrete Filled Steel Tubular) arch structure is an innovative arch structure, in which heavy arch lifting; especially in long span arch bridge is avoided implementing special technique in its construction, as in construction of Wushan Yangtze River Bridge of span 420 m. With the attempt to compute time dependent stresses and deformation due to creep, an experimental creep study is organized on plain concrete, CFST and encased CFST column, and the test result on column member is verified using numerical method. The verified numerical technique is employed to compute creep effect on arch bridges. The results indicate that the crown deflection due to creep is not excessive; the amount will be function of type of concrete, the span of bridge, the dead load of structure and load at transfer. The amount will be less for encased CFST arch bridge compare to RC bridge. A case study made in this paper suggests that Wanxian Yangtze River Bridge’s crown will deflect 16 cm in 3 years.
Analysis of Highway Vehicle Load in China Based on WIM Data
Authors: Ruan Xin , Shi Xue-fei , Ying Tianyi
Published: October 2011

The current general design code for highway bridge in China is theGeneral Code for Design of Highway Bridges and Culverts (JTG D60-2004), in which clauses on vehicle live load is generalized from statistics of vehicles on four national highways during the 90s, including National Highway No. 207 and No. 328. Recently, vehicle load on bridges has significantly changed due to the construction and operation of a large number of highways with distinctive vehicle types, speed, weight, etc. After long term research into factual highway load spectrum on a highway in Guangdong Province with WIM apparatus, this paper presents a data comparison between current specifications and actual vehicle load on highways in operation. Statistical analysis show that the vehicle load of present Chinese highway is marked with features of heavy traffic, large number of weighty vehicle and existence of extra-weighty vehicle (with a total weight more than 100t); features such as vehicle weight, axle weight and time headway are remarkably different from the prototype data in current code; the vehicles’ time and space distribution also shows distinction from existing domestic and foreign design experience. It is of great significance to research on bridge design and to evaluate live load in highway on the basis of WIM data.
Odin's Bridge
Authors: Thomsen Kjeld , Larsen Hilmer Jung
Published: October 2011

The new bridge crossing the Odense Canal on the island Funen Denmark is named Odin’s Bridge. Odin was a god in Nordic mythology and was the name giver to the city Odense. The bridge has closed a long missed gap in the infrastructure of the road system surrounding Odense which is the third largest city in Denmark.

An international competition was opened in December 2008 according to the EU´s service directive and 6 groups were pre-qualified to compete for being successful in obtaining the contract for design of the bridge.

ISC Consulting Engineers A/S and their sub-consultants were finally in September 2009 selected as winners of the international design competition for a 900 m long bridge connection comprising a bridge crossing the 80 m wide Odense navigation canal and on the western side of the canal an approximately 540 m approach bridge and dam joining the main circular road.

On the eastern side an approach span and a short dam have

been included in the total contract. The key part of this connection is the 194 m long swing bridge -the longest yet in northern Europe with several outstanding features in the design. The main structure is designed in steel as a twin box girder bridge with a 3 m clearance between the box girders. The centre span of the bridge is 120 m and the side spans are 37 m each. The bridge shall be constructed in an environmental sensitive area which requires as little impact on the surrounding nature as possible.

Another prime requirement for the bridge solution crossing the canal was to choose a solution providing the maximum navigational width opening.

The present twin swing bridge with the centre supports pulled back from the quay side full-filled these requirements. The bridge should also have an esthetical link with a new administration building for Odense Harbour in which also the operating centre for the bridge should be located.

The prime goal for the solution proposed by the consulting group was to minimize damage to the surrounding nature, which was achieved by letting the canal pass untouched under the bridge as well as letting the surrounding roads on the canal sides pass under the bridge.

A parameter study of alternative bridge concepts for instance hydraulic operated bridges was cored out to prove that the selected bascule swing bridge was the utmost feasible.
Wooden Cable-Stayed Footbridge with Curved Carriageway in Urbanised Area
Authors: Demarzo Mauro A. , Pletz Everaldo , Lahr Francisco A. R.
Published: October 2011

Today, all over the world, large scale urbanization is forcing more and more the importance of developing new technologies related to the rational use of wood, contributing to solving the problems of urban traffic. There is also an aesthetical need of showing the melting of up-to-date high technology with beauty. The cable-stayed stress-laminated timber footbridge, with curved modules meets all these needs. The building of a prototype, enabled static and dynamic tests to be carried out. The experimental results revealed the technical and economical feasibility of the following items: cable stayed footbridges with timber from reforestation; decks only made of stress laminated timber; curved plates of stress laminated timber. It also revealed that the human induced vibrations leads to the most critical design condition. The loss of deck curvature study indicated the need of further research considering the time effect, to confirm the initial success achieved. Based on results of these testing, the numerical model calibration was done. In order to investigate which variables are responsible for the footbridge response, several simulations were performed with the calibrated model.
20 years of development of large transparent free-form envelopes
Authors: Baldassini Niccolò
Published: October 2011

Transparency, large span and free form design constitute a coherent technical corpus that is now the medium for designing innovative transportation buildings. The development of transparent free forms in transportation architecture took more than 20 years to mature, starting from the early experimentation of the Chur Bus Station which pioneered today’s interest in transparent roofs.

The interest in free form has its counterpart in glass technology and in the cold bending technique developed for the Lille, Avignon and Strasbourg TGV Stations. These examples represent a step ahead in the creation of non-flat transparent surfaces.

Recent research on geometry has redefined the parameters to design free form structures mostly due to the “discretisation” technique. In this case is the process consists in creating double curvature surfaces from single curvature strips in order to have the a nearly smooth visual effect of the surface. Such new methods of rationalising surfaces have given rise to a new formal vocabulary suitable for transportation buildings such as the canopies of the new Lusail Light Train Station in Doha due to

be built in the near future.
New Developments in Brazilian Cable Stayed Bridges
Authors: de Miranda Mario
Published: October 2011

In the last decade in Brazil the development of the infrastructural network and the presence of large rivers led to the construction of many new bridges, the larger of which are cable stayed structures.

At the same time the urban development of many towns required the construction of new overpass structures that, in some cases, were the occasion of creating a landscape mark, and qualifying new and old areas.

This paper refers on some of these bridges, designed by the author and recently built, showing how the environmental constraints affected - in a quite different way - their design, and how the relationship between the bridge layout, that is its form, and the structural system were at the base of some design decisions. The main span of the three major bridges ranges from 200 to 320m; structures are prestressed concrete and, in two cases, composite steel concrete construction.

A discussion on the adopted construction systems and materials, as well as on durability and sustainability issues is also presented.

New bridges under design and construction will illustrate the more recent developments.
The new Juventus Stadium in Turin
Authors: Majowiecki Massimo , Ossola Francesco , Pinardi Stefano
Published: October 2011

After about 19 years the “delle Alpi” Stadium of Turin (Italy), builded for Italia ’90 WorldCup is going to be substitued by a new stadium named “Nuovo Stadio Juventus” designed according newer and actual guidelines for stadium and sport’s arena utilization.

Scope of this paper is to show the adopted architectural and structural design approach The paper illustrates principally:

foundation system;

grand stand frames;

suspended roof structural system;

The design has been assisted by experimental testing procedures in boundary wind tunnel laboratories.
The effects of reduced beam section connections on seismic displacement demands in steel moment frames
Authors: Ghaznavi Amin , Gerami Mohsen
Published: October 2011

Following extensive damage to welded steel beam-to-column moment connections during the 1994 Northridge and the 1995 Kobe earthquakes, analytical studies showed that Brittle fracture is one of the problems of connections in steel structures. Reduced beam section (RBS) moment resisting connections are among the most economical and practical rigid steel connections developed in the aftermath of the 1994 Northridge and the 1995 Kobe earthquakes. Using this type of connection, the plastic hinge will be placed, in a conducted mode, in a specific area in the beam. Among the types ofRBSconnections, is theRBSconnection with reduced by radius section which will be analyzed in this research. Regarding the high impact of drift on building’s damages, we have proceeded with analyzing the effect of reducing the stiffness ofRBSconnections on the increase or decrease of the frame drift. So we have proceeded with a comparison between this type of connection with cover plate. The results of analysis indicated that the fabrication ofRBSconnection will increase the global story drift angle, in comparison with cover plates connections, but as for the inter story drift angle the trend will not be the same and in different stories different behaviours will be observed. For analysis the SAP 2000 software were used and time history analyses were used for investigation.
The Sustainable Highway for Environmentally Constrained Urbanized Areas
Authors: Vákar László I. , Snijder H. H. (Bert)
Published: October 2011

The ‘Sustainable Highway’ concept offers an integrated solution to motorway emission and noise problems. It consists of a motorway canopy made of cold-bendable laminated glass. Key factors here are durability, safety, cost and revenue. The design yields a significant reduction in noise, fine particulates, NOx, and CO2 and also in the use of fossil fuels. It also reduces the infrastructure footprint, freeing up building land in urban environments. The Sustainable Highway makes it possible to increase road capacity, boosts urban accessibility and supports government policy aimed at concentrating new building possibilities in urban environments.

Special attention will be given in this paper to a possible structural system of the highway canopy and to the costs and benefits of the concept, compared with a highway with sound barriers.
Quantification of remaining Lifetime of post-tensioned Concrete Bridges
Authors: Wenzel Helmut , Veit-Egerer Robert
Published: October 2011

Conventional lifecycle models are based on the information provided by the respective databases. In order to introduce objective values for assessment monitoring results are utilized. In the following description this process is elaborated. The presented approach has been developed for Central European conditions and the related database and information structure. Nevertheless the principle can be applied globally when the respective interfaces are fitted for the specific purpose
Investigation on Construction Quality Indices for Concrete Box Girders
Authors: Wu Wen-Qing , Lin Feng , Fu Jia-Jia
Published: October 2011

Based on three bridge dismantlement, two construction quality indices were investigated in-situ, which consisted of duct grouting compaction of prestressing tendons, excess concrete rate in box girder. The result indicated that the excess concrete rate in box-girders, varied between 10% to 20% and the concrete excess centred at the top slab and bottom slab. The duct for prestressing tendons were only partially grouted, with over 50% ungrouted for longitudinal tendons and over 70% ungrouted for transverse tendons. Obviously, this would increased the prestress loss in the tendons,and increased the possibility of structure cracking. It was helpful for realising the true performance of box-girders.
40-Year-old Bridge strengthened with Prestressed CFRP Laminates and Monitored by FBG Gauge
Authors: Peng Hui , Shang Shouping , Zhang Jianren , He Xianfeng
Published: October 2011

However, FBG monitoring result revealed that temperature variances could produce obvious stress level changes of the CFRP plates.
Strain Gauge Measurements during the Assembly of the Diabolo Tunnel
Authors: Schotte Ken , De Backer Hans , Nuttens Timothy , De Wulf Alain , Van Bogaert Philippe
Published: October 2011

The Diabolo-project aims to improve the northern railway connectivity of Brussels Airport by 2012. As an important part of this project, a 1084 m long twin tube tunnel was shield driven below the airport runways and taxi-lanes using the mixshield method. During construction of both tunnel shafts, measurements have been carried out at several cross-sections of the tunnel lining. Each monitored ring was equipped with several strain gauges, distributed across the ring perimeter. The practical implementation of the strain gauges and measurement apparatus is explained and the first preliminary results of the completed measurements are presented. Finally a comparison will be made between the strain gauge measurements and extensive ovalisation measurements carried out at identical cross-sections.
Evaluation of Increasing Coefficient of Fundamental Period of Buildings
Authors: Kasaee Adel , Ghafari Ehsan , Mohsenian Sahar
Published: October 2011

Linear Static Analysis is a current approximate method in buildings analysis under earthquake force. One of the effective parameters in determining earthquake forces is building fundamental period. For computation this parameter, different experimental equations are provided on the basis of different structure resisting systems. Also the code has been allowed to increase the fundamental period in special conditions. Since the period changing used in lateral static forces calculation is leaded to change the building calculated earthquake force, so it is clear that taking into account more accurate fundamental period is leaded to better estimating of real earthquake forces. In this research the numbers of steel buildings are chosen from existing buildings and calculated earthquake force from using codes' period and calculated ones from dynamic analysis has been computed and compared so that can achieve the fundamental period allowed increasing coefficient.