THE STUDY OF A STIFFENED CURVED PLATE MODEL USING THE FINITE DIFFERENCE TECHNIQUE. THE DESIGN OF CURVED VIADUCTS

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON A CURVED STIFFENED PLATE MODEL TO EXPLORE THE STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR OF CURVED GIRDER BRIDGES, WITH ORTHOTROPIC OR ISOTROPIC DECK OR SLAB SYSTEMS, WHEN SUBJECTED TO STATIC AND DYNAMIC LOADINGS. UTILIZING DATA FROM PREVIOUS STUDIES ON THE FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD AND THE EXPERIMENTAL TEST DATA, COMPARISONS CAN BE MADE. THE SMALL PILOT MODEL WAS TESTED UNDER A NUMBER OF LOADING SITUATIONS AND AT TWO ARBITRARY ARC SPANS. PRELIMINARY ANALYTICAL STUDIES ON THE MODEL INDICATED THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO ANALYZE THE MODEL AS AN EQUIVALENT ORTHOTROPIC PLATE. FOR THE CORRELATION OF THE DEFLECTIONS AND STRAINS, FOR THE VARIATION IN LOADINGS AND SPANS, IT IS SHOWN THAT THE FINITE DIFFERENCE SOLUTION TO THE ORTHOTROPIC PLATE THEORY IS A VALID AND RELIABLE ANALYSIS OF THE DEFLECTIONS AND MOMENTS OF SUCH SLAB-GIRDERS STRUCTURES. UTILIZING THE EQUIVALENT ORTHOTROPIC PLATE EQUATIONS, THE STRAINS AND DEFLECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE MODEL WERE EVALUATED FOR VARIOUS LOADING CONDITIONS. COMPUTER PROGRAMS WERE DEVELOPED TO EVALUATE THE ANALYTICAL DEFLECTIONS AND MOMENTS IN A CURVED BRIDGE STRUCTURE.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Progress RePT, 235 PP, 116 FIG, 12 TAB, 15 REF, 2 APP
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Maryland, College Park

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  College Park, MD  United States  20742
• Authors:
  • Hails, R L
  • Heins, C P
• Publication Date: 1968-6

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge members; Computer programs; Curves (Geometry); Deflection; Dynamic loads; Finite differences; Girder bridges; Girders; Orthotropic; Static loads; Stiffeners (Plates); Strain (Mechanics); Structural plates; Viaducts
• Uncontrolled Terms: Model tests; Plates
• Old TRIS Terms: Curved steel girders; Static loading; Stiffeners; Strains
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00208905
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 28 1994 12:00AM