Thermal Effects on Main Girders During Construction of Composite Cable-Stayed Bridges Based on Monitoring Data
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Thermal effects critically influence the design and construction of steel-concrete composite cable-stayed bridges, where material thermal mismatch complicates structural responses. Current code-specified temperature gradient models inadequately address long-span bridges. This study employs in-situ monitoring of the Chibi Yangtze River Bridge to propose a refined vertical temperature gradient model, utilizing an exponential function for the concrete deck and a linear function for the steel web. Finite element analysis across six construction stages reveals: (1) Under negative temperature gradients, the concrete deck develops tensile stresses (2.439–2.591 MPa), approximately 30% lower than code-predicted values (3.613–3.715 MPa), highlighting risks of longitudinal cracking. (2) At the maximum double-cantilever stage, transverse stress distributions show pronounced shear lag effects, positive shear lag in deck sections connected to crossbeams and negative shear lag in non-connected sections. The proposed model reduces tensile stress conservatism in codes by 30–33%, enhancing prediction accuracy for composite girders. This work provides critical insights for thermal effect management in long-span bridge construction.
Source: Buildings
Authors: Hua Luo, Wan Wu, Qincong She, Bin Li, Chen Yang, Yahua Pan
Institution: Hunan Institute of Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W4413429501