ANALYSIS OF MULTICELL BOX-GIRDER BRIDGES USING FULLY COMPATIBLE FINITE ELEMENTS

In this paper, a new fully compatible rectangular finite element for use in the analysis of box-girder bridges treated as cellular folded plate structures is presented. The element has four nodes with a total of 40 degrees of freedom; 16 of which describe the bending action of the plate, and 24, the in-plane action. The finite element presented herein satisfies the requirements for the monotonic convergence of the total potential energy as the modelling of the continuum is successively refined. Thus, when fully compatible elements are used alternately with pure equilibrium elements in the analysis of a given structure and loading, bounds of a total potential energy are obtained which serve as a useful indication of the degree of convergence achieved by the solution. To assess the accuracy of the element presented herein, a four-cell box-girder bridge is analysed, and numerical results are compared with available solutions. /TRRL/

• Record URL:
  http://arrbknowledge.com
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was presented at the 8th Conference of the Australian Road Research Board, Perth, Australia, August 23-27, 1976.
• Corporate Authors:

  ARRB

  Melbourne, Victoria  Australia 
• Authors:
  • Bosler, J C
  • Pulmano, V A
  • Hall, A S
• Conference:
  • Australian Road Research Board Conference Proc
• Publication Date: 1976

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 7-12
• Serial:
  • Volume: 8
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Beams; Bending; Box girders; Bridges; Conferences; Control; Digital computers; Energy; Equilibrium (Mechanics); Finite element method; Loads; Matrices (Mathematics); Methodology; Motion; Stiffness; Structural analysis; Structural plates
• Uncontrolled Terms: Loading
• Old TRIS Terms: Finite elements; Folded plates
• ITRD Terms: 3472: Beam; 3474: Box girder; 3455: Bridge; 8525: Conference; 8673: Digital computer; 6490: Finite element method; 6494: Matrix; 9102: Method; 5483: Movement; 5931: Stiffness; 5573: Stress analysis
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Energy; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00164158
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jun 28 1978 12:00AM