Cable-Stayed

Bridges
TDV – Seminar 2003

Construction Schedule – the 4th Dimension

TDV Ges.m.b.H

May 2003

© TDV – Technische Datenverarbeitung Ges.m.b.H. Heinz Pircher und Partner

Cable-Stayed Bridges 4th Dimension – Construction Schedule
TDV-Seminar 2003 2

1 General

A general bridge engineering tool must be suited to the several possible bridge types
and the many possible construction methods.
A general bridge engineering tool should also model the time dependent behaviour of
concrete, usually using CEB/FIP rules (and code specific derivatives).
These CEB/FIP rules require that during the structural analysis the used program
“remembers” the loads applied to each element. Each load application on a certain
element of the structural model will have its own creep coefficient: This coefficient will
change over time. It is no longer possible to assign one creep coefficient ϕ, but many
creep coefficients (one for each load for each element for each stage).

This requires extensive data storage and advanced data processing.

This extensive data storage is required to accurately model the “Construction Schedule”.
This construction schedule represents the link between the erection sequences on site
and the erection simulation in the program.

The consideration of the erection sequence and the simulation thereof in the
construction schedule requires a strict order for the actions to be analysed. Some
construction schedules even combine two or more erection methods and in many cases
the removal of temporarily necessary parts of the structure need to be modelled.

Figure 1: combination of Cable stay, incremental launching and removal of temporary piers in a
construction schedule.

© TDV – Technische Datenverarbeitung Ges.m.b.H. Heinz Pircher und Partner

Cable-Stayed Bridges 4th Dimension – Construction Schedule
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2 Age of new elements in a construction stage

The time axis is the principal orientation for the user. All actions on the structure
(elements activations/deactivations, load applications) must be correctly positioned on
this time axis.
The design engineer must be aware that for an analysis the structure starts with day “0”
(“birthday”) and ends with a day in time “infinity”.
Day “0” is actually the day of the first load application on the first set of active
structural elements. When the load is acting, the time dependent effects (creep &
shrinkage, relaxation,..) start. The extent of these effects depends on the E-modulus of
the concrete which leads to the current creep coefficient.
In any case the structural elements have been cast a few days before the load is applied.
At the real begin of construction the formwork was set up, the reinforcement was
installed, the prestressing ducts have been fixed and the concrete has been poured in.
At Day”0” the prestressing (if required) is applied to the structure, the self weight is
acting and the formwork is removed, usually all happening at the same time.

Day “0” : the day of first load application.

Since the concrete has been poured a few days ago and the concrete could therfore
harden in the formwork, the user needs to specify this actual age of the concrete
elements when activating these elements into the construction stage.

14
14 14
101 113 114 128 129 135

ACTIVATION
1300+
1200+

42 42

ST 1 ST 2 ST 3

14 ......Age of concrete when activated

Note: The user can define creep and shrinkage ages independently from each other! The
shrinakge age is usually equal “0” since shrinkage starts immediately after pouring the
concrete whereas creep starts after load application.

© TDV – Technische Datenverarbeitung Ges.m.b.H. Heinz Pircher und Partner

Cable-Stayed Bridges 4th Dimension – Construction Schedule
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3 Time period between two individual construction stages

There will usually be a time gap after a set of elements is activated. All relevant
loadings are applied to the structure model and before the next segment is added to the
current structural system. On site this time gap will be used to set up the formwork,
reinforcement, tendons, cables, pouring concrete… for the next stage. During this time
gap, the existing structure will creep and shrink.
The duration of this time gap must be specified to complete the necessary data for the
construction schedule.

The duration of the time gap is usually assigned to the time dependent effects (creep &
shrinkage, relaxation) only.

Therefore, two time definitions set up the construction schedule:

One definition for the age of new concrete element at the moment of first load
application (start of creep, shrinkage can be handled separately)
1) ACTIVATION OF ELEMENTS

A second time for the period between 2 stages. This will be the time gap when nothing
but creep & shrinkage happens on site.
2) DURATION OF CREEP&SHRINKAGE + RELAXATION

Together they represent the construction schedule.

© TDV – Technische Datenverarbeitung Ges.m.b.H. Heinz Pircher und Partner

Cable-Stayed Bridges 4th Dimension – Construction Schedule
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4 Manipulation of time axis

In most of the cases it will be reasonable to strictly follow the idea described above.
There might be applications where this tied connection to the time axis will lead into a
huge amount of data to be defined and for these situations the user can have the idea to
actually shift independent pieces (parts that are not in connection with each other) along
the time axis. This means, one may want to stop the time dependent effects for parts of
he structure.

A typical case is a free cantilever with several piers that are erected independently from
each other. Usually the free cantilevers are built one after the other since the number of
form travellers is usually limited. This means that once they will be connected with each
other they will have a different age.

To stop the time for a set of elements allows modelling the erection of all free
cantilevers parallel to each other and to “freeze” sets of elements before Creep &
Shrinkage will be calculated using the real different ages of the free cantilevers. The
user must be sure that all different ages are set correctly before the key segments
connecting the cantilevers.

30 m 60 m 60 m 30 m

Span 1 Span 2 Span 3 Span 4

Pier 1 Pier 2 Pier 3

The cantilevers of this structure are erected independent from each other at different
time. The actual erection schedule is presented below:

© TDV – Technische Datenverarbeitung Ges.m.b.H. Heinz Pircher und Partner

Cable-Stayed Bridges 4th Dimension – Construction Schedule
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Pier 3 finished, Close Span 1

End of Creeping
Pier 2 finished
Pier 1 finished

Close Span 3
Close Span 2
Close Span 4

TIME
400

621
614
200

600
607

10000
days

200 400 600

TIME, Pier 1
0 days
Time stop
Time stop
200 200 Days 200 400
TIME, Pier 2
0 days

Time Stop
400 Days TIME, Pier 3
0 200 200 days

TIME,
0 200 400 600 days GLOBAL

The erection starts with pier 1, from Day “0” to “200”

Pier 2 is erected from day “200” to “400”,
Pier 3 from day “400” to “600”.

Pier 1 is the oldest part, pier 2 the middle and pier 3 the youngest part of the structure.

In a less complicated construction schedule the piers could be erected simultaneously.

At the moment of connecting these parts with each other with the key segment the user
must be sure to have set the correct age to the parts.
A Creep & Shrinkage calculation is run and before that “Time is stopped” for pieces of
the structure. The younger parts will creep less time according to the “Stopped time”
definition.

© TDV – Technische Datenverarbeitung Ges.m.b.H. Heinz Pircher und Partner

Cable-Stayed Bridges 4th Dimension – Construction Schedule
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Pier 2 will be frozen for 200 days, pier 3 for 400 days. In this way the position on the
time axis will be as on site and the calculation can be continued in the usual way.

The simulated construction sequence should correspond to the expended construction

sequence of the actual structure.

© TDV – Technische Datenverarbeitung Ges.m.b.H. Heinz Pircher und Partner

Cable-Stayed Bridges 4th Dimension – Construction Schedule
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5 Conclusion
A structural model built up in 3D allows an accurate analysis and design for forces,
deflection, stresses, etc. The problem that must be handled in addition is the erection
procedure which leads to consideration of the time axis.

This time axis can be understood as the fourth dimension.

This fourth dimension needs to be considered with the same accuracy then as three
geometric dimensions by the engineer.

© TDV – Technische Datenverarbeitung Ges.m.b.H. Heinz Pircher und Partner