Structural Performance Evaluation After Cracking During the Construction of Long-Span Continuous Rigid-Frame Bridges

Abstract

Cracking evaluation technology during construction is crucial for evaluating the safety performance of long-span bridges and for selecting remedial measures. In this paper, by focusing on the cracking of pier cap block 0 during the construction of a continuous rigid-frame bridge in Guizhou Province and combining this information with measured data, such as crack depth, length, and position, the effects of two extreme remedial measures—complete closure after cracking and nonclosure after cracking—on the structural performance of the entire bridge are analyzed using the finite element software Midas FEA and com-pared with the originally designed structure without cracking. The analysis results indicate that the structural performance of the completely closed structure after cracking is basically consistent with that of the originally designed undamaged structure. Nonclosure after cracking has a significant impact on the stress distributions of the top and bottom slabs and webs near pier cap block 0, and the stress levels of these com-ponents are greater than those of the undamaged model. In this study, the most unfavorable conditions are comprehensively considered, and the influences of bridge cracks during the construction stage on the structural performance of the entire bridge are investigated. This investigation plays an important role in the safety performance evaluation after cracking during the construction of bridges, and it can serve as a practical reference for these tasks.

Keywords

long-span continuous rigid-frame bridge / construction stage / crack simulation / evaluation of overall bridge structural performance

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