Serviceability Assessments of Masonry Arch Bridges

268 Pages·2013·20.96 MB·English

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
Serviceability Assessments of
Masonry Arch Bridges
Lufang Wu
BSc, MSc
THESIS SUBMITTED TO CARDIFF UNIVERSITY IN CANDIDATURE
FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
AUGUST 2010
UMI Number: U585B99
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DECLARATION
This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not
being concurrency/Submitted in candidature for any degree.
Signed ....................................................................(Lufang Wu)
lbbf/oo\l/2*'o
Date
STATEMENT 1
This thesis is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated.
Other sources are acknowledged by provision of explicit references.
Signed.... (Lufang Wu)
lb fo°\ /'zolo
Date
STATEMENT 2
I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and
for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside
organisations.
Signed.................................... (Lufang Wu)
(v>l°
( t /o')
Date........................................................................................................
To my parents
Zhenghe Wu and Xianfei Dai
AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Firstly I would like to thank my supervisor Professor Tim Hughes for his great
assistance, support and encouragement during the research work.
The facilities provided by the Cardiff School of Engineering, are hereby gratefully
acknowledged.
Most importantly, I would like to thank my family, particularly my wife, my parents
and my brother for their continued support and encouragement throughout the course
of this research.
ABSTRACT
Masonry arch bridges continue to play an important role in the UK's transport
infrastructure, forming a significant proportion of road, rail and waterway crossings.
Many of these bridges are relatively old and are still in service in their original
configuration.
Increasing vehicle loads and speeds have highlighted the need for reliable estimates
of both ultimate and serviceability load levels. Most experimental work and
assessment methods have so far been carried out under ultimate load. Only limited
work has been undertaken to date on serviceability assessment methods, this project
therefore aims to develop a systematic method to assess the serviceability load of
masonry bridges under a series of different serviceability criteria.
A complex spreadsheet was developed as the main analytical tool for the
serviceability assessment and was an encastered elastic analysis based on
Castigliano’s complementary energy method.
The geometric data from a large number of real masonry bridges data was gathered
and analysed to develop suitable distribution statistics. Three independent
serviceability criteria were then developed based on an attempt to replicate, on
average, the existing assessment methods. These three criteria are stress, deflection
and cracking depth.
Finally, a serviceability assessment method system was fully established within the
developed spreadsheet.
INDEX
1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background.......................................................................................................................1
1.2 Objectives.........................................................................................................................2
1.3 Layout.................................................................................................................................3
2 Literature Review..........................................................................................................5
2.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................5
2.2 Analysis and assessment of masonry arch bridges.....................................................8
2.2.1 Semi-empirical methods.......................................................................................8
2.2.2 Limit analysis methods.......................................................................................12
2.2.3 Solid mechanics methods...................................................................................17
2.3 Experimental work on arch bridge.............................................................................23
2.3.1 Load test on full-scale bridges...........................................................................23
2.3.2 Load test on model scale bridges......................................................................26
2.4 Serviceability assessment............................................................................................28
2.4.1 Cyclic compressive strength and cyclic load..................................................32
2.4.2 Dynamic characteristics......................................................................................33
2.4.3 Serviceability limits............................................................................................34
2.5 Conclusions.....................................................................................................................36
3 Theory.............................................................................................................................38
3.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................38
3.2 Forces and moments solution......................................................................................39
3.3 Deflections......................................................................................................................43
3.4 Soil pressure....................................................................................................................47
3.5 Live load distribution....................................................................................................49
3.5.1 Longitudinal load distribution..........................................................................50
3.5.2 Transverse load distribution.............................................................................52
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3.6 Castigliano theory applied to compressive yield models......................................57
3.7 Thinning models............................................................................................................57
3.7.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................57
3.7.2 No tension cracked model.................................................................................60
3.7.3 Limited Tension cracked model.......................................................................63
3.7.4 Compressive yield with no tension cracked model.......................................67
3.7.5 Compressive yield with limited tension cracked model...............................77
3.8 Equivalent elastic stress model of compressive yield stress model......................83
3.9 Iterative solutions for thinning and anti-thinning models.......................................84
3.9.1 Theory....................................................................................................................85
3.9.2 Examples of different models............................................................................87
3.9 Conclusions.....................................................................................................................90
4 Development of the Spreadsheet...............................................................................93
4.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................93
4.2 Main sheet.......................................................................................................................95
4.3 Calculation sheet..........................................................................................................106
4.3.1 Introduction.........................................................................................................106
4.3.2 Geometry.............................................................................................................108
4.3.3 Dead load.............................................................................................................110
4.3.4 Load distribution................................................................................................110
4.3.5 Soil pressure........................................................................................................111
4.3.6 Deflections..........................................................................................................Ill
4.3.7 Forces and moments solution..........................................................................112
4.3.8 Thinning...............................................................................................................112
4.4 Advanced setting sheet...............................................................................................113
4.5 Result chart sheets and a simple example................................................................115
4.6 Conclusion....................................................................................................................123
5 Statistics of Bridges.....................................................................................................124
5.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................124
5.2 The bridge data source................................................................................................124
5.3 Arch span statistics......................................................................................................126
5.4 Arch rise statistics........................................................................................................134
5.5 Arch ring depth statistics............................................................................................137
5.6 Fill depth statistics.......................................................................................................141
5.7 Conclusions...................................................................................................................143
6 Serviceability Criteria.............................................................................................146
6.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................146
6.2 Serviceability criterion selection...............................................................................151
6.2.1 Stress criterion choice.......................................................................................151
6.2.2 Deflection criterion choice............................................................................157
6.2.3 Opening depth criterion choice......................................................................159
6.3 Initial magnitude determination.................................................................................161
6.4 Selected bridges initial serviceability results............................................................162
6.5 Simple empirical models...........................................................................................168
6.5.1 Function derivation...........................................................................................168
6.5.2 Ultimate load simple empirical model..........................................................170
6.5.3 Stress based serviceability criterion simple empirical model..................177
6.5.4 Deflection based serviceability criterion simple empirical model..........182
6.5.5 Opening depth based serviceability criterion simple empirical model... 185
6.6 Simulations to modify serviceability parameter values........................................188
6.7 Modified shortened simple empirical serviceability load regressions.................191
6.8 Different serviceability assessment results compared with ultimate results.... 192
6.8.1 Short equation comparisons.............................................................................193
6.8.2 Spreadsheet results comparisons....................................................................197
6.9 Comparison of shortened ultimate load and serviceability load regression
equation results with the MEXE method PAL results......................................................200
6.9.1 Typical arch ring depth and crown fill depth..............................................201
6.9.2 Thick arch ring depth........................................................................................201
6.9.3 Thin arch ring depth..........................................................................................203
6.9.4 Thick crown fill depth......................................................................................204
6.9.5 Thin crown fill depth........................................................................................204
6.9.6 Conclusion.........................................................................................................205
6.9 Conclusions................................................................................................................206
7 Serviceability Assessment Examples.......................................................................207
7.1 Introduction...................................................................................................................207
7.2 Test bridge information.............................................................................................207
7.3 Assessment of test bridges.........................................................................................209
7.3.1 Preston bridge assessments..............................................................................209
7.3.2 Torksey bridge assessments.............................................................................215
7.3.3 Shinafoot bridge assessments.........................................................................219
7.3.4 Strathmashie bridge assessments....................................................................224
7.3.5 Prestwood bridge assessments........................................................................227
7.4 Minimum criterion based SLS assessments...........................................................232
7.5 Conclusions...................................................................................................................232
8 Conclusions and Recommendations.......................................................................234
8.1 Conclusions...................................................................................................................234
8.2 Recommendations........................................................................................................235
References...........................................................................................................................237
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