Technical Condition of Corrugated Metal Transport Structures

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of the work is to establish the real technical condition of transport structures made of corrugated metal structures on the basis of the analysis of scientific and technical sources.And to analyze the experience of operation of metal corrugated structures in the soil environment and to form and generalize the problems of ensuring the reliability and durability of structures made of metal corrugated structures in the conditions of operation on railways and highways of Ukraine. Methodology. To achieve this goal, a review of scientific and technical sources and regulations of different countries on the technical condition of transport facilities in Ukraine was conducted. In particular, data on the distribution of bridges and pipes made of corrugated metal structures by mode of transport are given. It is shown that the development and implementation of new technologies for the repair of existing defective pipes and small bridges, both on the railways and highways of Ukraine is a very important issue. A thorough analysis of the experience of operation of corrugated metal structures in the soil environment in different countries was conducted. Data on the main inadmissible defects of pipes and the reasons of their development are given. CMS' (corrugated metal structures) corrosion and other defects are given. A number of examples of overpass defects, collapse of bridges and structures with MCS in operation are presented. The qualitative indicators of metal corrugated structures, their advantages and disadvantages are also considered, the problems and the analysis of ensuring the reliability and durability of the structures with CMS in the conditions of operation on the railways and highways of Ukraine are formulated. Findings. An analysis of domestic and foreign scientific and technical sources on the technical condition of transport facilities in Ukraine was conducted. In particular, the experience of operation of corrugated metal structures in different countries of the world is studied and generalized. The analysis and synthesis of problems of ensuring the reliability and durability of buildings with CMS in the conditions of operation on the railways and highways of Ukraine. Originality. As a result of the analysis of the technical condition of transport facilities operated on railways and highways of Ukraine, it was found that about 15 % of transport facilities – small and medium bridges and culverts on Ukrainian railways and about 45 % of transport facilities on Ukrainian roads have unacceptable defects and require immediate repair and replacement. Also, it was established on the basis of research that there are no methods for assessing the load-bearing capacity of transport facilities with CMS in the presence in the body of the embankment of the railway or highway metal corrugated structures with a diameter greater than 6 m. It was determined that standards don't include regulations on design and monitoring of CMS on railway tracks. Practical value. On the basis of these data it was possible to offer directions of theoretical and experimental research and methods of calculation, tests of CMS and diagnostics of a technical condition of transport structures with CMS. In particular, the measurement of the impact of the environment on the bearing capacity of the CMS and the measurement of residual deformations of the corrugated metal pipe on the railway track. Execution of the analysis and synthesis of methods of calculation of transport constructions with CMS will lead to improvement of methods of calculation of CMS.