Improved 2D-Grid Construction Analysis of Curved and Skewed Steel I-Girder Bridges
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 22, Issue 9
Abstract
Structural analysis methods for steel I-girder bridges can be grouped in three categories: 1D line-girder, 2D-grid, and 3D finite-element analysis. This paper discusses the qualities and limitations of these techniques, and it focuses on improvements that may be implemented to 2D-grid methods to capture horizontal curvature and support skew effects effectively at little or no additional computational cost compared to traditional 2D-grid methods. The paper focuses predominantly on the problem of analyzing the noncomposite response of the structure during construction, which is of essential importance for setting girder cambers and controlling the constructed geometry. The proposed modeling techniques also can be applied to the analysis of partially composite structures during staged deck placement and to the analysis of a structure in final composite condition. Analysis results for several example bridges with challenging geometries are presented to demonstrate the application and show the impact of the proposed modeling improvements.
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Acknowledgments
This research was funded by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) and is part of the efforts under Project NCHRP 12-79, “Guidelines for Analytical Methods and Erection Engineering of Curved and Skewed Steel Deck-Girder Bridges.” The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from NCHRP. The writers also thank Cagri Ozgur, Domenic Coletti, Brandon Chavel, and John Yadlosky for the input provided during the preparation of this paper. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any named individual, group, or organization.
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Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 22 • Issue 9 • September 2017
Copyright
© 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 8, 2016
Accepted: Feb 23, 2017
Published online: Jun 20, 2017
Published in print: Sep 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Nov 20, 2017
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