To replace a steel box bridge with construction of medium-span bridges in Korea, prestressed concrete box girder bridges with steel truss web members, also known as hybrid truss bridges (HTBs), are being considered as an alternative bridge type. The core technology of HTB is the connection joint that links the concrete slabs and steel truss pipes. Various construction companies in Japan have developed unique connection systems and applied them to real bridge constructions after verifying their performance through experimental evaluation. In this study, static fatigue tests of a hybrid truss girder have been performed to verify static and fatigue capacities of the newly proposed hinge-type connection system with circular ribs. Based on structural finite-element analysis simulations of the joint's fatigue test result, the simulation results proved that the proposed connection joint has sufficient fatigue capacity for structural application. Finally, it is expected that the hinge connection system with circular ribs developed in this study can be easily applied to real HTB bridge construction.
A hybrid truss bridge (HTB) is a bridge constructed by replacing the concrete webs of a pre-stressed box girder bridge with steel truss webs. With its open web section, HTB offers advantages of high structural efficiency and excellent aesthetic appearance. The core technology of HTB is the connection system between the steel trusses and the concrete deck. Since the open web section of a HTB decreases the torsional capacity, precise analysis of the torsional behavior of the open web section with respect to the connection joint type is needed to ensure the safety of HTBs. In this study, the torsional capacity of HTB was calculated using the torsion formula derived based on the steel plate thickness conversion equation for corrugated steel web plates and the space truss theory. The torsion formula was verified by performing a parametric study using a commercial finite element program. Next, the torsion analysis results of the HTB girder were compared to experimental results to evaluate their accuracy. Finally, the simulation, experimental, and torsion formula results were compared to evaluate the feasibility of using the formula in design.
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