Abstract ▼ AI-Helper

This paper presents the results of a major parametric study on the collapse cause of the Sungsoo Grand Bridge, a Gerber-type continuous truss bridge, which had collapsed just at the 15th year since opening to traffic. Among the various collapse causes such as poor design, poor welding, poor maintena...

This paper presents the results of a major parametric study on the collapse cause of the Sungsoo Grand Bridge, a Gerber-type continuous truss bridge, which had collapsed just at the 15th year since opening to traffic. Among the various collapse causes such as poor design, poor welding, poor maintenance, and heavy traffic loads, this study focuses on the collapse cause assessment incorporating the effects of braket and H-beam members right below the expansion joint of the suspended truss. A local FEM analysis using fine shell elements is carrided out for the more precise estimation of stress range of the vertical pin-connected hanger whose fatigue fracture triggered the collapse of the bridge. Both the conventional S-N approach and the Ang-Munse's fatigue reliability method are used for the evaluation of the fatigue life and fatigue failure probability for the assessment based on all the available results of various field and labolatory tests. From these observations, It may be affirmatively stated that the effects of bracket and H-beam members accelerated the fatigue failure, and thus should be regarded as one of major causes that triggered the bridge collapse