ON THE INFLUENCE OF WEB OUT-OF-PLUMBNESS ON HORIZONTALLY CURVED STEEL I-GIRDER BRIDGE SERVICEABILITY DURING CONSTRUCTION

The effects on horizontally-curved steel I-girder bridge serviceability of various degrees of web out-of-plumbness are discussed in the present work within the context of performance during construction. Specifically, the consequences in terms of girder flange tip stresses, vertical and lateral deflections, and cross frame demands are discussed for various regions of a subject bridge when subjected to up to 5 degrees of out-of-plumbness. The effective mitigation of detrimental effects of out-of-plumbness is discussed in the context of current erection practices. This research does not aim to increase the capacity of horizontally curved bridges, but to report on the effects of typically-encountered degrees of web-tilt on construction-critical aspects of bridge erection. The research work discussed herein is primarily analytical in nature. Detailed nonlinear finite element models are created using the commercially available software system ADINA