Seismic Responses of a Cable-Stayed Bridge with Consideration of Uniform Temperature Load

• Main Authors: Junjun Guo, Jian Zhong, Xinzhi Dang, Wancheng Yuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016-12-01
• Series: Applied Sciences
• Subjects: cable-stayed bridges; uniform temperature; earthquake; nonlinear analysis; deck to pylon connections
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/6/12/408

The effects of temperature load on the dynamic responses of cable-stayed bridges have attracted the attention of researchers in recent years. However, these investigations mainly focus on the influence of temperature on the dynamic characteristics of structures, such as vibration mode and frequency. This paper discusses the effects of uniform temperature changes on the seismic responses of a cable-stayed bridge. A three dimensional finite element model of a cable-stayed bridge using OpenSees is established for nonlinear time history analysis, and uniform temperature load is applied to the prototype bridge before the conducting of seismic excitation. Three ground motion records are selected from the PEER strong motion database based on the design spectrum. Case studies are then performed considering the varying temperature and the connections between the deck and pylons of the bridge. The result shows that the seismic responses of the bridge are significantly increased with the consideration of temperature load. Meanwhile, the types between the deck and pylon also have notable impacts on the seismic responses of the bridge with and without temperature changes. This research could provide a reference for designers during the design phase of cable-stayed brides.