Fatigue analysis of long-span suspension bridges under multiple loading: Case study

Long-span suspension bridges are often subject to multiple types of dynamic loads, especially those located in wind-prone regions and carrying both trains and road vehicles. Fatigue assessment shall be performed to ensure the safety and functionality of the bridges. This paper proposes a framework for fatigue analysis of a long-span suspension bridge under multiple loading by integrating computer simulation with structural health monitoring system. By taking the Tsing Ma Bridge in Hong Kong as an example, a computationally efficient engineering approach is first proposed for dynamic stress analysis of the bridge under railway, highway and wind loading. The fatigue-critical locations are then determined for key bridge components, and databases of the dynamic stress responses at the critical locations are established. The time histories of dynamic stresses induced by individual loading during the design life of the bridge are generated based on the databases. The corresponding stress time histories due to the combined action of multiple loading are also compiled. Finally, fatigue analysis is performed to compute the cumulative fatigue damage over the design life of 120 years. The results indicate that it is necessary to consider the combined effect of multiple loading in the fatigue analysis of long-span suspension bridges.     

SHM-based F-AHP bridge rating system with application to Tsing Ma Bridge

This paper aims at developing a structural health monitoring (SHM)-based bridge rating method for bridge inspection of long-span cable-supported bridges. The fuzzy based analytic hierarchy approach is employed, and the hierarchical structure for synthetic rating of each structural component of the bridge is proposed. The criticality and vulnerability analyses are performed largely based on the field measurement data from the SHM system installed in the bridge to offer relatively accurate condition evaluation of the bridge and to reduce uncertainties involved in the existing rating method. The procedures for determining relative weighs and fuzzy synthetic ratings for both criticality and vulnerability are then suggested. The fuzzy synthetic decisions for inspection are made in consideration of the synthetic ratings of all structural components. The SHM-based bridge rating method is finally applied to the Tsing Ma suspension bridge in Hong Kong as a case study. The results show that the proposed method is feasible and it can be used in practice for longspan cable-supported bridges with SHM system.     

Major bridge development in Hong Kong,China—past,present and future

The first “modern” type of vehicular bridge was built in Hong Kong China in the 1920s. The need for an efficient transportation system to cope with population growth and enable economic development has demanded the construction of more and more bridges since the middle of the 20th century. By 2007, Hong Kong had a total of about 1300 vehicular bridges. Four of these bridges, including the Tsing Ma Bridge, Kap Shui Mun Bridge, Ting Kau Bridge, and the cable-stayed bridge on the Hong Kong- Shenzhen Western Corridor, are considered to be major bridges supported by cables. Currently, the Stonecutters Bridge on Route No. 8 is under construction and is expected to be completed in late 2009. At the same time, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will be in its detailed design stage soon. While efforts have been made by bridge builders to construct these giant structures, the upkeeping of these valuable assets at a high standard and ensuring their continuous functioning and performance during their intended lifespans will be another important task for bridge engineers. Wind and structural health monitoring system (WASHMS) will play a key role in this respect.     

Structural health monitoring system of the long-span bridges in Turkey

Abstract

This study presents the general features of the structural health monitoring (SHM) system of the long-span cable-supported bridges in Turkey, namely the First Bosphorus Bridge, the Second Bosphorus Bridge (Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge), the newly constructed the Third Bosphorus Bridge (Yavuz Sultan Selim) and the Osman Gazi Bridge (Izmit Bay Bridge). Due to the critical function of the bridges in the transportation networks of Istanbul, structural health under extreme and operational load cases without interruption of their operation is essential. The SHM systems are already available and in use for the First and Second Bosphorus Bridges; however, the Yavuz Sultan Selim and the Osman Gazi Bridges, only have the preliminary SHM systems established. General preferences of the current and planned SHM systems of the bridges are given based on the monitoring objectives and requirements. Data collected from the SHM systems are also exhibited as an illustration for structural modal identification of the First Bosphorus Bridge. Based on the experiences from the current SHM systems, future works and planning are recommended to effectively design new SHM system and to efficiently update the current ones.     

大跨斜拉桥拉索频率识别的环境变异性研究

为了研究大跨斜拉桥拉索振动频率的环境时变特征,本文对苏通大桥斜拉桥的拉索振动响应进行了模态频率识别,并详细地考察了日常运营条件下实测模态频率的环境变异性。分析结果表明,温度的变化对斜拉桥拉索各阶振动频率的影响很小,相反,交通荷载与拉索实测模态频率存在较为明显的相关关系,即拉索各阶振动频率基本随车流量增大而线性增大。在此基础上,本文建立了基于模糊模式识别的拉索异常状态预警方法,实现了对拉索振动频率异常的在线监测与预警。     

Major bridge development in Hong Kong, China-past, present and future

The first “modern” type of vehicular bridge was built in Hong Kong China in the 1920s. The need for an efficient transportation system to cope with population growth and enable economic development has demanded the construction of more and more bridges since the middle of the 20th century. By 2007, Hong Kong had a total of about 1300 vehicular bridges. Four of these bridges, including the Tsing Ma Bridge, Kap Shui Mun Bridge, Ting Kau Bridge, and the cable-stayed bridge on the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor, are considered to be major bridges supported by cables. Currently, the Stonecutters Bridge on Route No. 8 is under construction and is expected to be completed in late 2009. At the same time, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will be in its detailed design stage soon. While efforts have been made by bridge builders to construct these giant structures, the upkeeping of these valuable assets at a high standard and ensuring their continuous functioning and performance during their intended lifespans will be another important task for bridge engineers. Wind and structural health monitoring system (WASHMS) will play a key role in this respect.     

PPP-BOTDA监测钢筋混凝土结构分布式应变的试验

为了验证将PPP-BOTDA技术应用于桥梁、隧道等大型或大跨结构健康监测的可行性,试验研究了PPP-BOTDA在钢筋混凝土结构应变监测中的应用,实验结果表明,PPP-BOTDA检测的应变与应变片测量结果比较吻合,能够准确监测钢筋混凝土试验梁的应变,可以应用于大型或大跨结构的健康监测。     

Influence of Stabilizing Cables on Seismic Response of a Multispan Cable-Stayed Bridge

Abstract:   A recent trend in the design of long-span bridges is multispan cable-stayed bridges with three or more towers. A critical problem of multispan cable-stayed bridges is the stabilization of the central tower(s), which has resulted in increasing application of stabilizing cables. The Ting Kau Bridge in Hong Kong is one of a few multispan cable-stayed bridges adopting stabilizing cables ever built. In this article, the dynamic properties of multispan cable-stayed bridges with stabilizing cables and the effect of stabilizing cables on bridge seismic response are studied by referring to the Ting Kau Bridge. Based on a validated 3D finite-element model, modal analysis is conducted which shows that the longitudinal stabilizing cables bring about a number of global modes with strong modal interaction among the deck, towers, and cables. The seismic response and internal force in the central tower are found to be much larger than those in the side towers. The longitudinal stabilizing cables are very effective in reducing the internal force in the central tower generated by longitudinal earthquake excitation, but insignificantly affect the seismic response in the bridge deck and side towers. As a whole, the stabilizing cables act favorably in the reduction of seismic response of the bridge.     

大跨斜拉桥环境模态频率识别的最大熵法研究

大跨斜拉桥结构的振动特性随环境与运营条件的变化表现出时变的特征。本文对润扬大桥斜拉桥结构的实测加速度响应信号采用复模态指示函数法(CMIF法)进行了模态参数识别,在此基础上采用最大熵法对实测模态频率的不确定性进行了分析。分析结果表明,环境温度的变化对斜拉桥模态频率的影响是长期性的趋势,而交通荷载和风荷载对模态频率的影响则由于荷载的非平稳性呈现瞬时的颤动变化。采用最大熵法较好地改善了润扬大桥斜拉桥的环境模态频率识别效果,有效地减少了实测模态频率因车辆和风荷载随机因素影响的变异性。     

大型桥梁结构健康监测的研究进展

桥梁管理局已经认识到,对大型桥梁实行长期结构健康监测的意义在于保证结构和运行安全,发出损坏和老化的早期预警可以避免昂贵的维修甚至灾难性的坍塌。对大型桥梁建立长期监测系统,一方面是在桥梁正常使用期内评估结构完整性、耐久性、可靠性的信息,制定最佳的维护计划,保证安全运行。     

Multi-scale damage analysis for a steel box girder of a long-span cable-stayed bridge

Accurate evaluation of the effect of possible damage in critical components on the dynamic characteristics of a structure is of critical importance in developing a robust structural damage identification scheme for a long-span cable-stayed bridge. The strategies of finite element (FE) modelling of a long-span cable-stayed bridge for multi-scale numerical analysis are first investigated. A multi-scale model of the Runyang cable-stayed bridge is then developed, which is essentially a multi-scale combination of a FE model for modal analysis of the entire bridge structure and FE sub-models for local stress analysis of the selected locations with respect to the substructuring method. The developed three-dimensional global-scale and local-scale FE models of Runyang cable-stayed bridge achieve a good correlation with the measured dynamic properties identified from field ambient vibration tests and stress distributions of a steel box girder measured from vehicle loading tests, on the basis of which the effectiveness of some damage location identification methods, including a modal curvature index, a modal strain energy index and a modal flexibility index, are evaluated. The analysis results show that the effect of the simulated damage in various components of the steel box girder on the dynamic characteristics of a long-span cable-stayed bridge should be properly considered in structural damage analyses using multi-scale numerical computation.     

Performance of Vibration-Based Damage Detection Methods in Bridges

Abstract:   The important advances achieved in the modal identification, sensors, and structural monitoring of bridges have motivated the bridge engineering community to develop damage detection methods based on vibration monitoring. Some of these methods have already been demonstrated under certain conditions in bridges with deliberate damage. However, the performance of these methods for damage detection in bridges has not been fully proven so far and more research needs to be done in this direction. In this article, six damage detection methods based on vibration monitoring are evaluated with two case studies. First, the dynamic simulation and modal parameters of a cracked composite bridge are obtained. Here, the damage detection methods are evaluated under different crack depth, extension of the damage, and noise level. Second, damage is identified in a reinforced concrete bridge. This bridge was deliberately damaged in two phases. In this example, damage detection methods, which do not require comparison between different structural conditions, were applied. In the first case study, evaluated damage detection methods could detect damage for all the damage scenarios; however, their performance was notably affected when noise was introduced to the vibration parameters. In the second case study, the evaluated methods could successfully localize the damage induced to the bridge.     

大跨度桥梁多模态耦合颤振二分法全自动搜索

在分析和评价国内外对大跨度桥梁风致颤振研究的成果和目前各种常用颤振分析方法优缺点的基础上,基于结构的固有模态坐标,进一步完善了大跨度桥梁多模态耦合颤振的双参数搜索状态空间法。通过将结构和气流作为一个动态系统,最后将颤振问题归结为数学上一个非对称实矩阵的广义特性值问题。在求解中,风速搜索采用了二分法加速收敛技术,频率采用搜索迭代法,该方法可以按指定的搜索精度,迅速搜索到颤振临界风速和颤振频率,无须设定步长,且能真实地给出各阶模态频率和阻尼比随风速的全过程。最后对具有理想平板截面的悬臂梁进行颤振分析验证了本文方法的正确性,同时对总跨度1177m的香港汀九大桥进行颤振分析,计算得到的颤振临界风速基本与风洞试验结果基本一致,进一步表明本文方法的可靠性和高效性。     

Estimating aeroelastic effects from full bridge responses by operational modal analysis

This paper deals with the estimation of structural modal parameters of long-span bridges from their recorded wind-excited response, by separating structural properties from aeroelastic effects using information on the incoming wind velocity. Specific attention is devoted to structural damping ratios, as their accurate estimations are of crucial importance in bridge engineering. However, uncertainties affecting damping ratios estimates often complicate any attempt towards their accurate assessment. More importantly, in the case of long-span bridges, aerodynamic damping often hides the actual structural one, even at low wind velocities. In this paper, the use of a data-driven stochastic subspace approach, specifically conceived to eliminate, as much as possible, analyst's arbitrariness and to deal with the non-whiteness of the wind excitation, is proposed for system identification. Structural properties are then separated from aeroelastic effects via nonlinear regressions of the modal parameter estimates at different mean wind velocities. Application of this technique to field measurements and numerically simulated buffeting response data referred to a real suspension bridge is finally presented, showing its effectiveness for separating structural from aerodynamic damping in practical case studies.     

基于环境激励的连续刚构桥模态参数识别及有限元模型修正

一个合理准确的有限元模型是大型桥梁健康监测系统中损伤识别及安全评估、预警的前提。以一座三跨预应力混凝土连续刚构桥为例,根据设计资料,利用ANSYS建立其初始三维有限元模型,利用其健康监测系统采集得到的加速度时程数据,采用随机子空间法对实际结构的模态频率进行识别,依据识别结果,在参数灵敏度分析的基础上,根据最优化理论对该桥的有限元模型进行修正。研究结果表明,经修正后的有限元模型能真实准确地反映该桥梁结构的真实动力特性,可以作为健康监测中损伤识别、安全评估等研究工作的基准模型。     

Modal identification of Di Wang Building under Typhoon York using the Hilbert–Huang transform method

The Di Wang Building is one of the tallest composite buildings in the world, located in downtown Shenzhen City of China about 2 km from the Hong Kong border. On 16 September 1999, Typhoon York – that is the strongest typhoon since 1983 and the typhoon of longest duration on record – attacked Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The wind and structural monitoring system installed in the Di Wang Building timely recorded wind and structural response data. The newly emerged Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT) method in conjunction with the random decrement technique (RDT) is applied to the measured data in this paper to identify dynamic characteristics of the building. A series of natural frequencies and modal damping ratios of the building under different wind speeds in different directions are identified and compared with those from the fast Fourier transform (FFT)‐based method. The variations of natural frequency, total modal damping ratio and net structural modal damping ratio with wind speed and vibration amplitude are also investigated. The results show that the natural frequencies identified by the HHT method are almost the same as those obtained by the FFT‐based method. The first two modal damping ratios given by the HHT method are, however, lower than those by the FFT‐based method, which may indicate that the FFT‐based method overestimates the modal damping ratios. Both the total and the net structural modal damping ratios increase with increasing wind speed and vibration amplitude but the situation is reversed for the natural frequency. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modal testing as a means of quantitative monitoring of damage progression in a model FRP rehabilitated bridge deck system

Although substantial research has been conducted on the application of externally bonded fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) materials as a means of strengthening deficient and deteriorating concrete components most studies, and even field monitoring, have been at the component level. There is lack of data regarding the systems level response of strengthening. This paper reports on the results of an investigation of the effect of progressive strengthening of a slab-girder system through initial flexural strengthening of the decks followed by shear strengthening of the central girder. The progression of damage after each phase of loading was assessed through a process of forced vibration based modal testing. The paper focuses on modal testing and model updating procedures as a means of structural health monitoring and indicates that the process can be used effectively to accurately show changes in both local and global response through the different stages of loading. The procedures not only provide an assessment of damage progression and load redistribution in the rehabilitated components, but also enable an accurate representation of response at the systems and local (through support locations) levels.     

大跨度非对称悬索桥振动基频的参数敏感性分析

为了研究大跨度非对称悬索桥的动力特性,基于ANSYS软件建立了某大跨度主缆不等高支承悬索桥的三维有限元模型。在计算自振频率时考虑了表征结构非对称的参数,进行了前20阶模态分析,并分析了矢跨比、结构非对称参数、加劲梁抗弯刚度及主塔抗弯刚度等关键结构参数对其振动频率的影响。研究结果表明：不同的参数对非对称悬索桥振动基频的敏感性不同,一阶竖弯和扭转频率随矢跨比的增大减小,相对于正对称的振动频率,反对称的频率对矢跨比参数更敏感;非对称悬索桥的一阶反对称竖弯和扭转基频不受非对称结构参数的影响,而正对称竖弯和扭转基频随非对称结构参数的增大而减小;一阶横弯的自振频率对加劲梁刚度的变化非常敏感,当加劲梁的抗弯刚度增加到原来的3倍时,结构原有的振型次序发生了改变,但主塔抗弯刚度参数的变化对结构各向频率的影响很小,研究结果可为非对称悬索桥的结构设计和动力分析提供参考。     

Modal Identification Study of Vincent Thomas Bridge Using Simulated Wind-Induced Ambient Vibration Data

Abstract:   In this article, wind-induced vibration response of Vincent Thomas Bridge, a suspension bridge located in San Pedro near Los Angeles, California, is simulated using a detailed three-dimensional finite element model of the bridge and a state-of-the-art stochastic wind excitation model. Based on the simulated wind-induced vibration data, the modal parameters (natural frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes) of the bridge are identified using the data-driven stochastic subspace identification method. The identified modal parameters are verified by the computed eigenproperties of the bridge model. Finally, effects of measurement noise on the system identification results are studied by adding zero-mean Gaussian white noise processes to the simulated response data. Statistical properties of the identified modal parameters are investigated under an increasing level of measurement noise. The framework presented in this article will allow us to investigate the effects of various realistic damage scenarios in long-span cable-supported (suspension and cable-stayed) bridges on changes in modal identification results. Such studies are required to develop robust and reliable vibration-based structural health monitoring methods for this type of bridge, which is a long-term research objective of the authors.     

大跨度混凝土斜拉桥模态试验技术研究

随着大跨度斜拉桥建设的迅速发展,试验模态分析对于验证设计、建立结构动力学模型以及桥梁安全运行的状态评估具有重要意义。斜拉桥是由索、梁和塔三种受力特点完全不同的构件组成的组合体系,尤其是混凝土斜拉桥由于恒载内力较钢斜拉桥大很多,且振动信号衰减更明显,其模态试验比其它桥型更加困难。本文通过研究混凝土斜拉桥的模态参数特点,发展了一种包含两种方式基于环境激励的桥梁模态试验方法(UINO法),提出了利用互功率谱法进行模态参数识别的分析技术,并以此为基础开发了桥梁模态试验专用软件系统QL-SYMT。通过多座大跨度混凝土斜拉桥的模态试验证明,该系统不仅能有效识别出桥梁的模态参数而且方便易行。