Analytical and Numerical Behavior of Double Composite Steel Bridges
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 28, Issue 1
Abstract
Steel plate girders are considered a viable solution for the construction of medium- to long-span bridges. Despite their many advantages, various concerns have been raised regarding their maintenance due to the potential of fatigue crack initiation at welded details, accelerated corrosion in thin webs, and trapped debris around stiffeners. The use of rolled beams, on the other hand, can be very beneficial because they require much less maintenance. However, they are limited in size, which imposes constraints on their use to relatively short-span bridges due to deflection requirements. In this study, the behavior of the double composite superstructure system was investigated. The system comprises rolled beams in combination with a reinforced concrete slab, resting on the bottom flanges of the beams, to allow for longer spans to be built using rolled beams. To assess the full potential of double composite bridge systems, an analytical formulation, validated through numerical finite-element analysis, was developed to capture the full nonlinear behavior of the bridges. The effect of some parameters relevant to the performance, such as the use of prestressing tendons and ultrahigh-performance concrete, was investigated. The analysis results showed a substantial reduction in deflection for the double composite bridges over their single composite counterparts. Similarly, a significant increase in the moment capacity was also shown when the double composite sections were used. The finite-element modeling approach was used to reflect on the localized response of a selected bridge. The analysis procedure outlined in this study could be applied for the design and assessment of double composite bridges and could be used to determine the viability of using such a system for the construction and rehabilitation of new and existing bridges.
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Acknowledgments
Funding for this study was provided in part by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), PO# 411006889, and by the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), grant number FAR0023139. The content expressed in this paper is the views of the authors and does not necessarily represent the opinions or views of CDOT or the U.S. DOT.
Notation
The following symbols are used in this paper:
- bcb
- bottom concrete effective width;
- bct
- top concrete effective width;
- bf
- flange width;
- C
- max compressive stresses in the upper concrete;
- dcb
- bottom concrete depth;
- dct
- thickness of the top concrete slab;
- ds
- depth of steel beam;
- dsb
- distance from the bottom slab reinforcement to the edge of the bottom flange of the steel beam;
- dst
- distance from the top slab edge to the center of its reinforcement;
- Ec
- concrete elastic modulus;
- Es
- elastic modulus for steel;
- eu
- ultimate concrete strain;
- eyc
- yield strain for concrete;
- eys
- yield strain for steel;
- fc
- concrete yield stresses;
- fy
- yield stresses for steel;
- I
- cross-sectional moment of inertia;
- K
- section curvature;
- M
- moment resistance of the composite section;
- n
- the ratio between the steel elastic modulus to the concrete elastic modulus;
- tf
- flange thickness;
- tw
- web thickness;
- α
- location of the neutral axis in the steel beam;
- η
- percent plastification in the steel beam;
- μ
- location of the neutral axis in the concrete slab;
- ρ
- reinforcement ratio for the top and bottom slabs; and
- ξ
- percent plastification in the concrete slab.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 28 • Issue 1 • January 2023
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 11, 2021
Accepted: Aug 13, 2022
Published online: Nov 7, 2022
Published in print: Jan 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Apr 7, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Architectural engineering
- Beams
- Bridge engineering
- Bridge tests
- Bridges
- Bridges (by material)
- Building management
- Composite bridges
- Construction engineering
- Construction industry
- Construction management
- Engineering fundamentals
- Field tests
- Finite element method
- Infrastructure construction
- Maintenance and operation
- Methodology (by type)
- Numerical methods
- Steel bridges
- Structural behavior
- Structural engineering
- Structural members
- Structural systems
- Tests (by type)
- Wood bridges
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