Arch Bridges Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Network arches are tied arch bridges with inclined hangers, which have multiple intersections. In contrast to tied arch bridges with vertical hangers they are mainly subject to axial forces and only little longitudinal bending, leading to possible savings of more than 50% of structural steel. Despite or maybe because of this amazing claim, few network arches have been built. It is the professional experience of the authors that when a network arch is proposed as an alternative to the conventional tied arch bridge with vertical hangers, the responsible persons request an extensive demonstration of its benefits. In this article the authors present a comparative study of conventional tied arch bridges and network arch bridges. Subsequently, the basic structural behavior of a network arch is explained by means of a parametric study of the radial hanger arrangement. This paper concludes that the longitudinal bending moments are about ten times smaller in a network arch than in a tied arch bridge with vertical hangers, leading to important material savings.

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- Bridge Engineering, Bridges, Arch Bridges, Network Arch Bridges

Network arches have inclined hangers that cross each other at least twice. It seems
to happen more often for railway bridges than for road bridges that structural elements above
the bridge deck are acceptable, which justifies investigations of the applicability of network
arches.
The tie can be a longitudinally prestressed concrete slab. This gives less noise, and the
additional self-weight favours the structural behaviour. Alternatives with steel and composite
bridge decks are discussed. For double track railway bridges spanning up to 100 metres the
arches can be rolled H-sections. For larger spans welded box sections are applicable.
For the design of network arches the hanger arrangement is important. Small bending
moments in the arches and small hanger forces are obtained when the upper hanger nodes
are placed equidistantly and all hangers cross the arch with the same angle. The cross
angle’s size depends on several parameters. Hints for a good choice are given. The maximum
hanger forces vary little, thus all hangers have the same cross-section.
To ensure passenger comfort and the stability and continuity of the track, deformations of
railway bridges are constricted. A network arch is a stiff structure with small deflections and
therefore suitable to comply with such demands even for high speed railway traffic.
A network arch railway bridge with a concrete tie usually saves more than half the steel
required for tied arches with vertical hangers and concrete ties.

- by Frank Schanack
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- Bridge Engineering, Bridges, Railway Bridges, Arch Bridges

Min-Zhe bridge in Fu-Jian and Zhe-Jiang Provinces of China is a unique type of woven wooden arch bridge with important cultural heritage values in both tangible and intangible fields. Reconstruction (including in-situ rebuilding and relocation) is a traditional approach to extend the bridge’s lifespan, which has been passed on and lasts till now. Today’s reconstruction practice and its legitimation on intervening in the Min-Zhe bridge as both tangible and intangible heritage is discussed in this paper under the modern conservation context. Firstly, the reconstruction activities since its ‘discovery’ in 1980 are investigated through general information and case study. Then, the legitimation issues are discussed according to the criteria of the authenticity text for World Heritage bridges and the criteria of continuity for living heritage. Finally, suggestions on protecting the continuity of the building tradition and ensuring the reliability of the continuous production in the future are proposed.

- by Shujie Chen
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- Heritage Conservation, Living Heritage, Arch Bridges

Abstrak Studi ini membahas tentang analisis respon dinamik perilaku gempa pada jembatan rangka pelengkung sebagai akibat dari pengaruh pergerakan tanah dan patahan. Data gempa didapat dari integral waktu gelombang respon percepatan gempa Jiji Taiwan pada tahun 1999 yang kemudian diaplikasikan kepada struktur jembatan rangka pelengkung untuk diteliti perilaku responsnya. Analisis respons dinamik dibuat menggunakan gerakan tanah pada saat gempa pada arah transversal dan longitudinal, bersamaan dengan pergerakan patahan pada arah vertical dan transversal, untuk meneliti perilaku gempa dari model jembatan baja pelengkung yang digunakan. Model analitis dengan sejarah waktu (time history) disimulasikan menggunakan model 3D dengan program ABAQUS. Berdasarkan hasil analisis, perilaku respons dari kedua kasus pada arah transversal dan longitudinal akibat akselerasi menunjukkan bentuk respons yang sedikit berbeda. Selain, itu juga ditemukan bahwa elemen struktur yang mengalami plastis berkumpul pertemuan antara rangka utama jembatan pelengkung dan girder pengakunya.

- by JURNAL PROKONS
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- Structural Engineering, Structural Dynamics, Bridge Engineering, Steel Structure

Network arches are bowstring arch bridges with inclined hangers that cross each other at least twice. The use of many hangers reduces bending in the arch and tie and therefore they can be made very slender. Network arches are likely to remain the world's most slender arch bridges. This publication is about the erection of this very efficient structure. For distances between the arches of less then 18 m the tie should be a concrete slab. The tensile force is taken by longitudinal prestressing cables. The arch is very slender. In many cases the small bending moments and the efficient support against buckling by the hangers favours the use of universal columns or American wide flange beams. In the network arches in Norway the tie was cast on formwork resting on timber piles in the riverbed. The arch and hangers were erected from the concrete lane. The hangers were tightened with great care till the arch carried the tie. A light temporary lower chord is suggested to obtain a steel skeleton with enough strength and stiffness to carry the casting of the permanent concrete tie. During erection the steel skeleton can be moved when lifted at the end of the spans. The temporary lower chord can be reused for many spans or modified for different projects. If the network arch is the main span over a navigable waterway, the steel skeleton can be erected on the approaches and be lifted in place by a pontoon or a crane. If the steel skeleton already has the correct shape, no further adjustment of hanger is necessary. In cold climates the steel skeleton can be erected on ice and lifted onto the abutments. Network arches are very efficient structures. They need less structural steel than other bridges. Efficient methods of erection can make them very economical.

- by Frank Schanack
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- Bridge Engineering, Bridges, Bridge Construction, Construction of Bridges

Network arches have inclined hangers that cross each other at least twice. It seems to happen more often for railway bridges than for road bridges that structural elements above the bridge deck are acceptable, which justifies investigations of the applicability of network arches. The tie can be a longitudinally prestressed concrete slab. This gives less noise, and the additional self-weight favours the structural behaviour. Alternatives with steel and composite bridge decks are discussed. For double track railway bridges spanning up to 100 metres the arches can be rolled H-sections. For larger spans welded box sections are applicable. For the design of network arches the hanger arrangement is important. Small bending moments in the arches and small hanger forces are obtained when the upper hanger nodes are placed equidistantly and all hangers cross the arch with the same angle. The cross angle's size depends on several parameters. Hints for a good choice are given. The maximum hanger forces vary little, thus all hangers have the same cross-section. To ensure passenger comfort and the stability and continuity of the track, deformations of railway bridges are constricted. A network arch is a stiff structure with small deflections and therefore suitable to comply with such demands even for high speed railway traffic. A network arch railway bridge with a concrete tie usually saves more than half the steel required for tied arches with vertical hangers and concrete ties.

- by Frank Schanack
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- Bridge Engineering, Bridges, Railway Bridges, Arch Bridges

Arch bridges which have existed since thousands years ago showed surprising durability. Due to the aesthetic value of arch bridges, it is widely used as crossing over valleys and rivers nowadays. Closed spandrel arch bridge is one type of arch bridges that have been produced using precast concrete technology since 1965. Currently, the available Precast Concrete Arch Bridge Systems are BEBO Arch Bridge System, Matiere Arch Bridge System, Techspan Arch Bridge System, Flexi Arch Bridge System and Rivo P-Series Arch Bridge System. In this paper, development of the Precast Concrete Closed Spandrel Arch Bridge System is reviewed. The advantages of precast closed spandrel arch bridge system will also be briefly presented. Comparisons in terms of arch sections, moulding, handling, transporting and installing among different Precast Concrete Closed Spandrel Arch Bridge Systems are presented.

In this work the results of investigations into how to optimise a network arch for the special
demands of railway traffic are presented. Network arch bridges have inclined hangers that cross
each other at least twice. The beneficial structural behaviour leads to slender bridge members
mainly subjected to axial forces. Structural parts above the bridge deck are therefore more likely to
be tolerated. Furthermore, the high stiffness and therefore small deflections favour the application
of network arches for railway bridges. Stress ranges caused by the load character of railway
bridges require special considerations for the design. Adequate solutions are elaborated
considering as an example a double track railway bridge spanning 100 meters.
The arrangement of the hangers has considerable influence on the structural behaviour. It
decides on the forces and force variations within the network arch depending on many parameters,
as for example span, rise, number of hangers, loading or arch curvature. A new introduced type of
hanger arrangement is involved in an optimisation process with regard to the mentioned
parameters. This improved hanger arrangement provides a simple method of designing network
arches with small hanger forces and small bending moments in the chords.
The hanger connection details call for special attention to fatigue strains. The fatigue design
check is decisive for the hanger cross section. Various designs of hanger connection details for
circular hangers are tested by numeric analysis. A hanger connection detail is derived from the
results satisfying the special demands of slender arches as they are found in network arches.
The structural behaviour of a network arch favours a lower chord consisting of a concrete slab.
Its vertical deflections are limited to ensure passenger comfort and track stability. Alternatives with
and without transverse prestressing are compared considering the deformation behaviour and
economic differences. Several other construction details such as arch root point, bearings or
drainage are elaborated on and the solutions are presented. An erection method using a temporary
lower chord is assessed and described in detail.
The investigations confirm the suitability of network arches for railway bridges. Economic
advantages due to significant savings of steel compared to other arch bridges contribute to the
overall convincing performance.

- by Frank Schanack
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- Bridge Engineering, Bridges, Arch Bridges, Network Arch Bridges
- by Frank Schanack
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- Bridge Engineering, Bridges, HIGHWAY ROADS AND BRIDGES, Arch Bridges
- by Frank Schanack
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- Bridge Engineering, Bridges, HIGHWAY ROADS AND BRIDGES, Arch Bridges

Network arches are tied arch bridges with inclined hangers, which have multiple intersections. In the last five years there has been built a significant number of network arch bridges, maybe initiating a turning away from the traditional tied arches with vertical hangers. When introducing new structures it is important to understand well its structural behavior in order to assure the usual safety and quality level. In arches, the buckling behavior is of particular interest. The existent solution does not explain the in-plane buckling of network arches to a satisfying extent, limiting its application range to a special case. A general parametric study of the in-plane buckling leads to a concept, which allows considering the problem as a curved compression strut with radial elastic support. Then, a simple analytical formula is derived that predicts the critical buckling load and buckling mode for in-plane buckling of network arch bridges with an error of less than 5%.

- by Frank Schanack
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- Bridge Engineering, HIGHWAY ROADS AND BRIDGES, Arch Bridges
- by Frank Schanack
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- Bridge Engineering, Bridges, HIGHWAY ROADS AND BRIDGES, Arch Bridges

Vertical or inclined cables which are placed in bridges as a hanger system affect the dynamic performance of bridges. Inclined hangers can be used instead of vertical hangers to improve the stability of the bridge aerodynamically. However, inclined hangers are susceptible to fatigue more than vertical ones. Considerable signs of distress or slackness might be shown by some inclined hangers because of their location on the bridge. In this study, a cable-stayed arch bridge with vertical and inclined hangers has been compared to investigate the effect of hangers on the dynamic performance of the bridge. To reduce the internal cable forces and the probability of fatigue or force fluctuation in hangers, additional horizontal cables are applied on inclined hangers that transfer the tensile load from overstressed hangers to adjacent ones with lower forces. By modification, the results demonstrate the higher stiffness and human comfort level for the bridge that improve the dynamic behavior and control the responses of the bridge.

- by Salar Farahmand-Tabar
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- Structural Dynamics, Vehicle Dynamics, Bridge Engineering, Cables

Arch bridges which have existed since thousands years ago showed surprising durability. Due to the aesthetic value of arch bridges, it is widely used as crossing over valleys and rivers nowadays. Closed spandrel arch bridge is one type of arch bridges that has been developed using precast concrete technology since 1965. Currently, the available Precast Concrete Arch Bridge Systems are BEBO arch, Matiere arch, CON/SPAN arch, TechSpan arch, NUCON arch, Concrete-Filled FRP Tube arch, Flexi-Arch, Rivo CS-P Series arch and Pearl Chain arch. In this paper, development of the Precast Concrete Closed Spandrel Arch Bridge System is reviewed. The advantanges of precast closed spandrel arch bridge system will also be briefly presented. Comparisons in terms of arch sections, moulding, handling, transporting and installing among different Precast Concrete Closed Spandrel Arch Bridge Systems are also highlighted.

The authors give brief history of arch bridges in India and also highlight the design and construction aspects of Ramshilla arch bridge in Himachal Pradesh of India.

- by V N Heggade
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- Arch Bridges

El articulo detalla los principales aspectos del proyecto del Puente en Arco sobre el Río Tercero, que tiene por objeto el cruce del río del mismo nombre, vinculando las ciudades de Villa María y Villa Nueva (provincia de Córdoba, Argentina), en reemplazo del puente metálico que se encuentra adyacente al emplazamiento del nuevo puente. La tipología de arco tipo Network empleada para salvar el cauce del río Tercero permite salvar una luz de 120 m con una esbeltez de tablero y de arcos muy notable, junto con una economía de materiales significativa. Se ha desarrollado una solución totalmente prefabricada (tanto en los arcos metálicos como en las vigas longitudinales y transversales de hormigón pretensado) que permite acometer un proceso constructivo rápido y eficaz. Particularmente se ha profundizado en el análisis de estabilidad lateral de los arcos, con arriostramientos tipo Vierendeel.

- by Frank Schanack
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- Bridge Engineering, Bridges, Structural and Bridge Engineering, Arch Bridges

The occurred damages during the past significant earthquakes have proved that vertical seismic excitation has tremendous effect on bridges. Three-component earthquake excitations are preferred to resemble the earthquakes. In this article, a cable-stayed arch bridge, a new type of bridge with the hybrid system of half-through arch and stay-cables, was analyzed under a set of different earthquake excitations (more than 21 ground motion records). Both vertical and horizontal components of the ground motions were considered to act simultaneously at the bridge supports. By using different three-component earthquake excitations, the dynamic responses of the bridge, including the displacements and accelerations of the main parts of the bridge, were obtained. The effects of various parameters such as soil type, epicentral distance, spatial variation of the ground motions, and dimensional variation of the structure were investigated. The results of the numerical study indicate that the cable-stayed arch bridge subjected to both horizontal and vertical components of earthquakes are more vulnerable than those subjected to horizontal ground motion only.

- by Frank Schanack
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- Bridge Engineering, Bridges, Arch Bridges, Network Arch Bridges

Radial hanger arrangement for network arch bridges.

- by Frank Schanack
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- Bridge Engineering, Bridges, Arch Bridges, Network Arch Bridges

- by majid barghian
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- Mechanical Engineering, Geology, Structural Engineering, Structural Dynamics