OPTIMIZATION OF SPAN ARRANGEMENT FOR HIGHWAY BRIDGES

A PROCEDURE FOR THE OPTIMIZATION OF SPAN ARRANGEMENT FOR CONCRETE DECK AND STEEL STRINGER HIGHWAY BRIDGES HAS BEEN DEVELOPED IN THIS REPORT. THE PHYSICAL PROBLEM OF SPAN ARRANGEMENT DETERMINATION IS STATED AS A COMPLEX MATHEMATICAL PROGRAMMING PROBLEM WHICH CANNOT BE SOLVED BY KNOWN TECHNIQUES. BY REDEFINING VARIABLES, MAKING APPROXIAMTIONS BASED ON STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR, AND ITERATING TO REINFORCE THE APPROXIMATIONS, THE SOLUTION TO THE COMPLEX PROBLEM IS OBTAINED BY SEARCHING THE OPTIMAL SOLUTIONS OF A NUMBER OF SIMPLER LINEAR PROGRAMMING PROBLEMS. THE STATIONS OF THE LINES OF SUPPORT, THE ANGLES THE LINES OF SUPPORT MAKE WITH A REFERENCE LINE, THE NUMBER OF SPANS, AND THE NUMBER OF GIRDERS ARE CONSIDERED AS THE DESIGN VARIABLES. THE MAIN CONSTRAINT CONDITIONS ARE THAT THE LINES OF SUPPORT MUST BE WITHIN CERTAIN SPECIFIED REGIONS AS DICTATED BY THE BRIDGE SITE. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO MINIMIZE A BRIDGE COST BASED ON THE VOLUME OF SUPERSTRUCTURE COMPONENTS, AND A COST PER UNIT LENGTH OF BRIDGE. STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AND DESIGN APPROXIMATIONS ARE INTRODUCED TO REDUCE COMPUTATIONAL EFFORT, BUT THE OPTION OF A MORE VIGOROUS ANALYSIS IS INCLUDED. /AUTHOR/

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Hpr, State NO R-10
  • Corporate Authors:

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    Department of Civil Engineering, 77 Massachusetts Avenue
    Cambridge, MA  United States  02139

    Massachusetts Department of Public Works

    100 Nashua Street
    Boston, MA  United States  02114

    Bureau of Public Roads /US

    400 7th Street, SW
    Washington, DC  United States  20590
  • Authors:
    • Latona, R W
  • Publication Date: 1968-5

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00207878
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Nov 12 1994 12:00AM