Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780921303152
Total Pages : 11 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (31 download)
Book Synopsis Thermal Response of Skewed Bridges by :
Download or read book Thermal Response of Skewed Bridges written by and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 11 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bridges may experience large movements or stresses when exposed to environmental conditions. Large stresses occur when thermal movements are prevented, and as a result inaccurate estimation of these movements may lead to damage of the bridge. The damage may, in turn, lead to expensive repairs, increased maintenance cost, and reduced service life of the structure. It is relatively easy to estimate the thermal movements in straight, non-skew bridges. The movements of a simple bridge can be estimated by a relatively simple equation based on the length of the bridge, the coefficient of thermal expansion and the maximum temperature changed expected for that environment. Skewed bridges, however, have more complex thermal response; their thermal movements may surprise many bridge engineers. A recent study of State Departments of Transportation have identified a number of such bridges. The Casper Creek Bridge in Casper, Wyoming, is one such bridge. The bridge is described, and the deformation and damage which have been noted are examined. A series of computer analyses is discussed. The mathematical modelling is described in detail, and the alternate models are compared to the real structure. The results of the analyses are correlated to observed behaviour. These calculations lead to a rational explanation of the cause of the unusual behaviour. Methods of alleviating the problem and avoiding similar problems in the future are evaluated. For the covering abstract of the Conference see IRRD Abstract no. 807839.