THERMAL RESPONSE OF A CONCRETE BOX GIRDER BRIDGE BRISBANE

This thesis is submitted as partial fulfilment for the degree of master of engineering science. It is based on continuous temperature measurements within a concrete box girder bridge for the three year period 1975, 1976 and 1977. A summary of heat transfer mechanisms applicable to the type of bridge instrumented is presented, and the thermal property of diffusivity has been determined experimentally for the concrete used in the bridge. A detailed description of the method for instrumenting the bridge for temperature measurements is presented. Design variables of differential temperature, average bridge temperature and base temperature are defined. Presented are the variations of these variables during the three recorded years in the form of histograms, yearly and monthly cumulative distribution functions. Mean return periods have been calculated for the design variables. The shapes of measured temperature profiles at time of occurrence of maximum differential temperature are compared with a number of temperature distributions derived from various codes as well as a number of new analytical expressions. Relationships between design variables and atmospheric parameters are given and empirical expressions for the prediction of the design variables from these parameters are developed. The effects of temperature variations are deflections and stresses and these are presented for the bridge instrumented. The conversion of temperature profiles to deflections and stresses has been done analytically. (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Queensland

  St Lucia
  Brisbane, Queensland 4067,   Australia 
• Authors:
  • Churchward, A
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 233 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Box girders; Bridge design; Bridges; Concrete; Concrete bridges; Deflection; Loads; Methodology; Stresses; Structural design; Temperature measurement; Thermal stresses; Theses
• Uncontrolled Terms: Thermal response
• Old TRIS Terms: Concrete box girders
• ITRD Terms: 3474: Box girder; 3455: Bridge; 4755: Concrete; 5586: Deflection; 5567: Load; 9102: Method; 6710: Temperature measurement; 8597: Thesis
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00315197
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Report/Paper Numbers: Thesis
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Oct 27 1980 12:00AM