PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF CURVED BRIDGES

A SIMPLIFIED METHOD IS PRESENTED FOR EVALUATING THE INTERNAL FORCES IN RADIALLY CURVED GIRDER SYSTEMS TO UTILIZE COMPUTER PROGRAMS. THE EQUATIONS AND FACTORS PRESENTED PERMIT THE DESIGNER TO DETERMINE THE REQUIRED CROSS- SECTIONAL PROPERTIES. A SLOPE DEFLECTION TECHNIQUE IS USED FOR DEVALUATION OF THE GIRDER SYSTEM AND BEAM THEORY IS USED TO EVALUATE THE BEHAVIOR OF THE SINGLE GIRDER. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A SINGLE CURVED GIRDER AND A STRAIGHT GIRDER CAN BE FORMULATED. THEREFORE, A SERIES OF FACTORS CAN BE DEVELOPED, RELATIVE TO THE INTERNAL FORCES AND DEFORMATIONS, COMPARING THE SINGLE STRAIGHT: SINGLE CURVED: CURVED SYSTEM. A SERIES OF SIMPLIFIED EQUATIONS ARE PRESENTED, WHICH WILL PERMIT EVALUATION OF INTERNAL FORCES AND DEFORMATIONS IN A SINGLE, 2- AND 3- SPAN CURVED GIRDER SYSTEM. THESE FORCES CAN THEN BE UTILIZED TO ESTIMATE INITIAL SECTION PROPERTIES, WHICH ARE NECESSARY IN UTILIZING THE COMPUTER PROGRAMS. THE STUDIES CONDUCTED, RESULTING IN THE DESIGN EQUATIONS, HAVE THE FOLLOWING LIMITATIONS: (1) GIRDER SPACING MAY BE 7,8,OR 10 FEET, (2) INDIVIDUAL GIRDERS AND LENGTHS VARIED FROM 50 TO 100 FEET, (3) THE GIRDERS OF THE SYSTEM MUST HAVE CONSTANT CURVATURE AND BE LIMITED TO RADII OF 100 TO 600 FEET, (4) THE NUMBER OF GIRDERS IN THE SYSTEM MAY BE 4,6,OR 8, (5) RADII AND SPAN LENGTHS OF THE SYSTEM ARE THE MID RADII AND LENGTH, (6) 2- AND 3- SPAN CONTINUOUS BRIDGES WERE EXAMINED, WITH ALL INTERIOR AND END SPANS OF EQUAL LENGTH, (7) CERTAIN SUPPORT CONDITIONS WERE ASSUMED, AND (8) THE GIRDERS ARE ROLLED BEAM MEMBERS OR PLATE GIRDERS IN COMPOSITE ACTION WITH A 7-INCH CONCRETE SLAB. THE STIFFNESS FOR EACH GIRDER IS CONSTANT ALONG ITS LENGTH. THE GENERAL FORMULA IS PRESENTED FOR COMPUTING THE MAXIMUM FUNCTION OF A CURVED GIRDER SYSTEM.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 7, No 2, PP 50-61, 4 FIG, 13 TAB, 9 REF, 1 APP
• Authors:
  • Heins, C P
  • Siminou, J
• Publication Date: 1970-4

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Engineering J, Am Inst Steel Constr

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge design; Bridge superstructures; Bridges; Composite structures; Computer programs; Curves (Geometry); Deformation; Girders; Internal forces; Mathematical analysis; Plate girders; Structural analysis; Structural design
• Uncontrolled Terms: Bridge spans
• Old TRIS Terms: Curved steel girders
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00209234
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 17 1970 12:00AM