Analysis of Multicelled Box Girders by Faucharts Method 1, Introduction When two box girders are joined by a slab, applied loads will be shared by the girders according to the position of the load transversely and the relative stiffnesses of the girders and the connecting slab. The longitudinal moments and shears in the girders will depend on how the loads are distributed between the girders, and transverse bending in the slab will be effected by the relative displacements between the girders as well as the transverse location of the loads. Thus, there is an interaction between the longitudinal and transverse analysis that is not present in a single box girder. ‘The following is a computerized adaptation of Faucharts method. The span is idealized as a unitlength slice of the cross section taken at midspan and supported by springs representing the stiffness of the girders, as shown in Figure 1. The slice is taken at midspan because this is where the interaction effects in the joining stab will be the greatest. Analysis both bending in the slab of this model in a finite element program yields influence lines and forces in the supports. These influence lines are used for transverse and longitudinal design, respectively. w*) BEBE EaSe: (0 * i fLIE Figure 1. Idealization of Cross Section >2, Model Definition The cross section of the girders is modeled as a framed structure. This structure is supported on vertical and rotational springs at the center of rotation of the each box girder, as shown in Figure 2. The box girders are connected to the spring supports by weightless rigid links which are in turn connected to the joints of the webs and bottom slab. The connection at the bottom slab is a pin restraint so that the joint is free to rotate independently of the rigid links. The elements are assembled the same way the span is to be constructed: usually placing the boxes first, stressing the top slab PT, and subsequently connecting them with a cast-in-place pour strip. In this, way the dead load will be placed on the structure in the correct static state and the secondary moments from the post- tensioning will be accurately accounted for. The top slab is supported horizontally at one point on each box until the cast-in-place strip is placed. One horizontal support must thea be removed to allow for axial shortening. Post-tensioning is modeled in the usual way, providing an equivalent tendon area for the length of the slab being considered. = see Pin Restraint ~ typ Figure 2. Frame Model of Cross Section Slab Stiffnesses Since the webs and flanges of a box girder are plates which are effectively restrained from longitudinal bending, they should be modeled with the elastic plate constant D, instead of EI. This can be done in the model by dividing I for these elements by 1-v?, Such a modification is not necessary for a single box girder, since only the relative stiffnesses of webs and flanges are significant for moment redistribution. It will make a small difference in this model since the slab stiffnesses relative to the supports springs are important. The difference will be about 4%.Support Stiffhesses The elastic supports representing the stiffnesses of the girders must be chosen such that they preserve the relationship between the girder stiffness and the stiffness of the joining slab; the slab stiffness is predetermined by virtue of the unit length being considered. This can be accomplished by considering the elastic curve of a beam subjected to a load in terms of a Fourier series: @ we) = Th, wi ) The displacement is then given by: @sa@-Y, Fel: } Since the difference in displacement between two girders will also be given in terms of a Fourier series, the force connecting the girders (that is, the transverse shear force resultant in the joining slab, Q,, in Figure 3) will be in the same form that was assumed for the extemal load in Equation 1 above. Therefore, the correct equivalent stiffness for the girders, considering the first term of the series for a uniform load only, is given by the following: In like manner, for the twist, the stiffness is as follows: 44g we @) K,= Sec, with c = ae ys tFigure 3. Forces on the Girder 3, Influence Lines Two families of influence lines will be generated. The first is concerned with support reactions. It is comprised of influence lines used to determine the fraction of the applied load that is supported by each girder for the longitudinal analysis. The second is for effects in the slabs and webs. These lines are used for the transverse analysis of the cross section. Influence Line for the Vertical Reaction of the Support This influence line gives the vertical reaction of the spring support as a function of the transverse position of the load. It is determined according to Mueller-Breslau's principle, by applying a load numerically equal to the support stiffness directly to the support. The value of the influence coefficient, for vertical force in the support due to a load at any given node, is then simply equal to the magnitude of the displacement of that node. Since the spring support is used to represent the longitudinal bending stiffness of a girder, the force in the support is analogous to the change in shear, or the increment of load, in that girder. Any load on the system of girders can therefore be apportioned to the individual girders to calculate longitudinal bending moments.In practice it is not convenient to apply loads directly to the influence lines. A computationally more direct way is to apply the wheel loads from all of the lanes in their respective transverse positions and calculate the total force in a support spring. This force, divided by the total force applied in all of the lanes, will give the equivalent number of lanes to be carried by the girder associated with that support spring. The longitudinal analysis can thus be carried out in the normal manner, using the equivalent number of traffic lanes in place of the acrual number of lanes. (BC does not recognize fractions of lanes, so the load factors in the SLD block of the service module may have to be changed to get the correct number). It should be noted that the live load reduction factor is based on the total umber of lanes carried by the span, not the equivalent number of lanes on a girder. It is very important, therefore, to check the girders with every possible combination of lanes loaded (with the corresponding reduction factor), to determine the critical load case. It should also be recognized that the influence lines generated are only strictly valid for loads applied to the longitudinal midspan, since that is the point considered in generating the spring support stiffness. At other points in the span, the stiffness of the girder relative the stiffness of the joining slab will be greater, and loads will be shared by adjacent girders to a lesser extent, This is not a critical fault as loads away from the midspan have a diminishing effect on longitudinal bending. Asa final note, it is acknowledged that this development is based on an elastic analysis, and is therefore appropriate for analysis of service loads. At ultimate, the loads may be shared by the girders on an equal basis; or each girder may support only the loads directly applied to it, The actual mechanism depends on the sirength of the girder relative to the strength of the joining slab. Influence Line for Torsional Reaction in the Support This influence line gives the torsional moment reaction of the spring support as a functionof the transverse position of the load. It is determined in the same manner as the influence line for the vertical reaction: a torque numerically equal to the rotational spring stiffness is applied directly to the supports. Influence coefficients are then equal to the displacements of the nodes. The practical use of the influence lines for torque is different from that of the influence lines for vertical reaction. Here the idea of an equivalent number of lanes is not appropriate, so loads must be applied directly to the influence lines. Any longitudinal load may be applied, as long as it is represented in terms of a Fourier series, consistent with the development of the model. The model, however, is based on loads applied to a unit length at midspan. To obtain the effect at the pier, due to loads along the entire length of a span, the results must be multiplied by L/x. Influence Lines for Transverse Flexure The service module of BC will generate influence lines for transverse flexure at a given point as a function of the transverse position of the load. These influence lines can be obtained for bending in the webs and the bottom slab, as well as in the top slab. Again, the lines are only appropriate for describing effects at the longitudinal midspan, unless the support springs are modified. They can be used directly for uniform longitudinal loads where every section is loaded identically and there is no appreciable sharing of loads between the top slabs of adjacent sections (that is, the transverse shear resultant, Q,,=0). ‘The load need only be represented as a Fourier series. The actual force applied to the cross section model is the intensity of the Fourier series at midspan multiplied by the unit length of the model. 4, Extension to Variable Loads ‘Since the cross section is modeled with simple beam elements, no plate bending effects are accounted for, and longitudinal changes in moments in the slab can not be caprured. It is, therefore, not possible to use the influence lines directly for longitudinally variable loads (such as truck wheel loads).In order to model these loads, transverse bending is decomposed into two parts: A “local” part which represents the bending caused by a load applied directly to the top slab, and a “general” part which consists of the bending caused by differential displacements and pwists of the girders. These two cases are illustrated in Figure 4. Bending moments are calculated separately for these two effects, and subsequently superimposed to obtain the total effect. The local effect depends on the longitudinal variation of the load. For the case of a constant uniform load, the influence lines generated by BC already include the correct local effect. If the load is not uniform, however, adjacent sections will no longer be independent (Q,,*0). A plate-bending influence surface (for example, a Homberg Chart) must then be used. For these cases the local effect of transverse bending is calculated in exactly the same manner as live loads are for a single box girder. Moment resultants are obtained from the influence surface for an infinite plate strip rigidly clamped on both sides. These moments are then redistributed to account for joint rotations based on a transverse model of the cross section subjected to unit moments at the joints. In the case of the multi-celled box girder, the local effect is by definition independent of girder deflections. The original model must therefore be modified by replacing the springs with rigid supports to suppress the general effect when computing moment redistribution. ‘The influence lines generated by BC are the summation of the local effect for a uniform longitudinal load and the general effect. The general effect must therefore be isolated by removing the local effect. It is necessary, then, to obtain the influence lines for the pure local effect of a uniform load. This is easily done by running the influence module in BC using the model with rigid supports. The influence lines created are then subtracted from the influence lines generated with spring supports to obtain influence lines for the pure general effect. ‘The bending moments for the general effect are calculated by applying the Fourier series representations of the loads to these influence lines. The total bending is then simply the summation of the two effects.“Local!” Effect “General” Effect Figure 4. Decompostion of Transverse Bending ‘Transverse moments generated in this manner occur, in the slab at midspan, where the general effect will be a maximum, The general effect may, of course, reduce the total moment. The slab must therefore also be designed for the local effect acting alone, with the general effect taken as zero, as would be the case at a pier. 5, Extension to Non-Prismatic and Multiple Span Bridges The above development is valid only for prismatic bridges, since in the integration of the load function, EI was taken as constant (Appendix 1). Likewise, the assumed boundary conditions applied were for a simply-supported beam. Obviously the method can be extended to the general case by including a function for the variation of EI in the integrations, and using boundary conditions appropriate for other geometries. In practice this would produce difficult integrals and awkward boundary conditions, resulting in much more computational effort and possibly a requirement for numerical integration. Great simplification can be achieved by recognizing that the method only considers one point in the span (usually the midspan), and that the girder is considered to be a single spring. Because of this, a complete description of the stiffness characteristics of the girder is notEE IEE —£?-?WSKEE—wCWDW'DIDE:*=C— EEE EE EE ee ee ee a eee eee needed; only the equivalent stiffness at midspan is required. In order to use the method in the form presented above, the girder stiffness is represented by an equivalent simply- supported beam with the midspan cross-section properties. This is easily done by calculating the deflection of the real girder and solving for the length of a simply-supported prismatic girder that would produce the same deflection under the same load. Note that the same load (for example, point or uniform), that the system is being designed for, should be used to determine the equivalent length. Transverse moments derived in this manner can be used directly in design. The longitudinal bending moments, however, must be taken from a longitudinal model of the ceal structure carrying the number of equivalent lanes computed in the transverse analysis. The prismatic model is used only to determine the equivalent number of lanes to apply to each girder. ‘The equivalent span length for torsion is determined in the same way, The owist at midspan of the real structure is equated to the twist at midspan of a prismatic beam fixed at both ends. 6. Fourier Series Representation of Loads As outlined above, all ioads applied to the mode! must be given in terms of a Fourier series. In fact, the variation of the load along the length of the beam is not important; it is only necessary to know the intensity of the Fourier series at midspan (the point where the transverse slice is taken), Tae actual force applied to the transverse cross-section model is equal to the intensity of the Fourier series at midspan multiplied by the unit length of the model. Below are Fourier series representations of some typical loads: 1. Uniform Load:SSS SS ee ae a a —_ on -o- -e- - ees - - ee ee eee Since the value of the sign term at midspan is unity, the expression becomes, taking the first term only, simply: 2. Point Load: we = Do, Fad] ‘This expression can be summed over the number of axles of a truck N (Figure 5) to give the total effect of a line of wheels in a longitudinal plane: Mz) ‘Again, evaluating this expression at midspan and taking the first term gives the 2, s@) = Th Fil 3 2P, wa = 2 Dea following: Figure 5. Multiple Truck-Axle Loads3. General Load: wa) = OT, =) wea) = a fe mse fe Where w,(x) is the is the actual load function (linear, for example) that is being reproduced with the Fourier series.“~~ ae a so —- =! a — a — eo ee - ees ee — Appendix | Delection oF 2 Beam Subjected. + a Loud Giver interms of a Fourier Series Equilibeiams Med VedVv V+ wdx -(VedV/) = 0 2 wer Hot t+ ; * babe wd Ee (Ugdlfde ~ Me dire Geometry: ees ds a - dw $ dx NV" oi Materiel: & o* it MELT g = ELT dM Vr ox = Ret FE) = er gs d Ee 3 -df . (er Spy «er Ss let wx) +5 wm sin (ZX) + Wr sin(Z2x) = EL 1 oe = a od sin 42x)ee en ee ee 2s aa a a a eae \= {ooo dx = - We & cos (4Ex) +, Mz (Wordx = ~ Wa (EY sin (BE x) + CK ln G7 [tonda “Bt (mex) dex E> EE Wn (a#)? cos (Ex) + OE #CgX + Cg As [eer > oE We EY sin (SE Fx) CR eM Gk Hey Boundary Conditions: Adoy=0 = C420 Mlo)=0 =7 C270 Ay? = EN sin(4™ x) MiL)=O =7 Cr =0 A(L)20 @ C20 k = FL. Twn sin (48x) A Leyes War sin iit x’) ELnt Ki it