Nonlinear Analysis and Simulation of Construction of Cable-Stayed Bridges

Construction of cable-stayed bridges involves major changes in configuration of the structure with the addition and removal of structural components to the partially constructed structure. At every stage of construction, it is necessary to have sufficient information about the existing partial structure as-built, to verify the requirements called for in the construction guidelines and to investigate the effects of possible modifications in the construction procedures. The final stresses and deformations in the completed structure are strongly dependent on the sequence of events during the construction and the erection procedure used. Therefore, analysis of the actual construction sequence is an important first step in any analysis of the performance of the bridge under external loads. In this paper a general methodology for construction sequence simulation of cable-stayed bridges is presented, and stage-by-stage construction of an actual bridge is simulated. The objective of the simulation is to evaluate short-term and long-term influences of the construction sequence on the structural integrity of the cable-stayed bridge. Comparisons are presented between results from the present analysis, conventional procedures, and the actual field measurements.