ENCE717 – Bridge Engineering Steel Bridges

Steel Bridges
1. Behavior of Composite Steel I-Girder
Bridges (7.1.1)
2. Steel I-Girder Bridge Grid-Modeling
Consideration (7.1.3)
3. Principle and Modeling of Steel I-Girder
Bridges (7.2)
Chung C. Fu, Ph.D., P.E.
(http: www.best.umd.edu) 4. Behavior of Composite Steel Box-Girder
Bridges (8.1)
5. Principle and Modeling of Steel Box-Girder
1
Bridges (8.2)

Composite Steel I-girder Bridges Principle and Modeling

of Steel I-girder Bridges
• Stage 1: Erection of structural
steel framing (girders and cross 1. Beam Charts: standard beam design charts and
frames), other design aids for approximate analysis;
• Stage 2: Placement of the
structural deck slab (wet 2. Line Girder Analysis Method:
concrete), “approximate” method in the AASHTO LRFD
• Stage 3: Placement of
appurtenances (e.g., barriers, 3. Grid Analysis Method
railings, overlays) representing
the long-term (LT) loading, and
• Stage 4: Bridge in-service
condition (e.g., carrying live
loads; vehicular, rail, 4. Plate and Eccentric Beam Analysis Methods
pedestrian), representing the
short-term (ST) loading. 5. 3D FEM Analysis Methods (next)
 Line Girder Modeling Influence Lines for Moment & Shear
AASHTO LRFD live load distribution factor design equations for shear and
moment is recommended for rating.
Moment
• Assumed constant deck width, parallel
beams with about the same stiffness
• Developed for “design” trucks
• Developed to bound within that structural
type Truck x DF x IF

• Limited ranges of applicability. (When Lane x DF x IF

exceeded, the LRFD specifications Shear
mandate refined analysis.)
Line girder

Composite Steel I-girder Stresses Grid Analysis

Default support condition:
1. Vertical fix
2. Bending & torsional free
(may be altered by spring
constants, explained later)

Bending DOF

Torsional DOF
Vertical DOF

• Girders: Special-made curved element or conventional straight element

• Total normal stress: a combination of axial stress, major axis bending • Cross-frames: X-, K- or invert K- type; internally converted from the flexibility matrix to 3 x
stress, minor axis bending stress (not included), and warping normal 3 stiffness matrix, functionally similar to the Timoshenko beam with 3 D.O.F. at each end.
(lateral bending) stress. • Diaphragms: Diaphragm is considered as conventional transverse girder with 3 D.O.F.

• Total shear stress is the sum of vertical shear stress, horizontal shear • Deck/connection of the deck to girders: Composite action is considered for the longitudinal
girders, Equivalent deck area between nodes may be considered for deck action
stress (not included), St. Venant torsional shear stress (generally relatively
small), and warping shear stress (ignored due to different locations).
 Steel I-girder Bridge Steel I-girder Bridge
Grid Modeling Consideration Grid Modeling Consideration

Principle and Modeling Modeling of Steel I-girder Bridges –

of Steel I-girder Bridges 3D FEM Analysis
Table 7.1 – Conversion of FEM stress resultants to beam moments and shears
5. 3D FEM Analysis Methods GIRDER #1 - MAX (-) FORCES -0.28 k = Fz

 In-plane shell -beam model 30

-0.58 k-ft = My
649.72 k

18.71 k-ft = Mz -9.95 k = Fy

1.12 ft

838 -26.84 k

 3D brick-shell model top & bottom length = 4.0 ft

102.62 k = Fy

side length = 2.234 ft 1.12 ft

thickness = 0.052 ft
top element h shear = 883.38 k
top element v shear = -129.05 k

 3D shell-beam model bottom element h shear = -1009.66 k

bottom element v shear = -378.38 k
-78.70 k
-117.29 k = Fy
1.12 ft

898

1.12 ft
 3D shell-shell model -2.45 k = Fz

90 -635.01 k
-0.82 k-ft = My
-19.95 k-ft = Mz 10.02 k = Fy
TORSION = -45.85 k-ft MOMENT = 3114.33 k-ft
 3D brick-beam model SHEAR = -108.28 k
 Principle and Modeling Principle and Modeling
of Steel I-girder Bridges of Steel I-girder Bridges

Figure 7.20 ‐ Cross‐section view of a girder‐substringer system
(a) (b)

(c) (d)
• Sample Influence Surfaces of a Curved Steel I-girder Bridges (a) Inner Girder In- Straddle bent cap modeled
span Bending Moment at C; (b) Inner Girder Interior Support Bending Moment at
by support stiffness
G; (c) Outer Girder Interior Support Bending Moment at D; (d) Second Interior
Girder Interior Support Reaction at F

Grid Model Spring Elements to model

Different Boundary Conditions Steel Bridges
(Ramp FR-A over SR 6060, Pittsburgh, PA)

1. Behavior of Composite Steel I-Girder Bridges

(7.1.1)
2. Steel I-Girder Bridge Grid-Modeling Consideration
(7.1.3)
3. Principle and Modeling of Steel I-Girder Bridges
(7.2)
4. Behavior of Composite Steel Box-Girder
Bridges (8.1)
5. Principle and Modeling of Steel Box-Girder
Bridges (8.2)
 Equivalent thickness of the top bracing
Behavior of Steel Box-girder Bridges for the quasi-closed box
Figure 8.1 ‐ Steel box girders: 
(a) Unstiffened closed box girder; 
(b) Unstiffened tub girder with lateral bracing;
(c) (c) Stiffened closed box girder 

(c)

18

Behavior of Steel Box-girder Bridges Composite Steel Box-girder Bridges

Top lateral bracing system

Internal vertical cross‐frame

External cross‐frame

• Figure 8.9 illustrates the general box girder normal stresses which can
occur in a curved or skewed box-shaped girder.
• Closed box sections are extremely efficient at carrying torsion by means
of St. Venant torsional shear flow (Figure 8.10). When combined with
vertical shear in the webs, this shear flow is always subtractive in one
web and additive in the other.
 Box Girder Bottom Flange
Modeling of a Twin-box Girder Bridge
under In-plane Action

(a) Unstiffened plate with small aspect ratio a/b
(b) (b) Unstiffened plate with large aspect ratio a/b

• 2D Grillage model
• 3D Brick-Shell model
(c) Stiffened plate • 3D Shell-Shell model

High Load Multi-Rotational bearings 3D Beam Element Model

for Girder Bridges with Boundary Conditions and Their Reactions

(a) Disk bearing

(b) Pot bearing
(c) Spherical bearing