Control of Construction Stresses in Launched Bridges [Kindle Edition]

Why would you ever need a spreadsheet tool to optimize the nose-deck interaction in an incrementally launched bridge before starting the launch stress analysis? Well, I created this analysis method many years ago for a design team panicking on the trial-and-error use of a structural software program for the preliminary design of a launched bridge, and that team never made that mistake again.

There are indeed a couple of things you might wish to consider. The transient construction stresses in a launched bridge must be analyzed and controlled with great care. Launch stress analysis includes a great number of load cases and combinations and requires a considerable amount of calculation. Structures that present so many load conditions require careful pre-sizing, and the most critical aspect in the design of a launched bridge is the nose-deck interaction for control of negative self-weight bending in the front deck region.

A spreadsheet for parametric analysis of the nose-deck interaction avoids the trial-and-error use of structural analysis programs, streamlines and accelerates the design of a launched bridge, minimizes the risk of remaking the launch stress analysis, and unlocks available software licenses for parallel tasks.

Fully integrated within the Bridge Engineering eManuals © project, the eBook introduces the parametric design of the launch nose of an incrementally launched bridge, explores an analytical model for the nose-deck interaction and a step-by-step procedure for its optimization, and explains the use of design charts for control of self-weight bending and shear in the front region of the deck. The eBook includes all the equations needed to generate the design spreadsheet, but why reinventing the wheel? “Nose Optimization Charts for Incrementally Launched Bridges”, a companion publication of the Bridge Engineering eManuals © project, provides the peer-reviewed Excel spreadsheet used to draw Figures 9 through 15 of the eBook and Figures 2.43 through 2.46 and 2.56 of the second edition of “Bridge Launching” (2014, ICE Publishing).

The Bridge Engineering eManuals © project provides exhaustive coverage of new and emerging bridge construction technology and modern construction methods for all bridge professionals looking to save time, labor and costs, reduce risk, and increase the value and quality of bridge projects through mechanized construction. The eManuals share format and print styles to be collected into customized books, are immediately downloadable in PDF format from the author’s website (www.marcorosignoli.com) and as Kindle Editions from Amazon, and deliver a unique wealth of knowledge and learning.

Extracted from the bestseller “Bridge Construction Equipment” (2013, ICE Publishing) and the second edition of “Bridge Launching” (2014, ICE Publishing), the eManuals expand the discussion from the 2-day classes of bridge launching and bridge construction technology that the author teaches for the Continuing Education Program of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and face-to-face in the offices of bridge owners, designers and constructors.