The Issue

• Very deep beams;

• Long and light bracing members;
• Not connecting pile caps;
Existing light bracing
• Transverse differential settlement resulting from connecting the two bridges
inherently looks to find its way through bracing; d=10mm max
• Bracing fails with simple LE analysis.

Pile caps not physically

connected

9 July 2018 Useful Graphics 1

Cross Bracing - Analysis
• Existing Cross
Bracing are less than
half the size of the
new ones.

• Connections’
capacity – bolts and
welds – are lower for
the existing cross
bracing than for the
new design.
Conventional Analysis – 10mm settlement + Other Forces
• Sketch of diagonal and
horizontal elements
failing.

• Utilisation factor up to
152% for combined
bending and tension
for diagonal elements
and up to 137% for
combined bending and
compression for
horizontal elements.
(Not dependent on
settlement).

• Bolted connections fail

too.
Solutions Considered - Plastification
Plastification of Elements:

• Allow formation of plastic hinges.

• Take ULS settlement on transverse bracing
only;
• Take remainder of ULS actions on primary
longitudinal girders.

• Capacity of welds and bolted connections

are greater than elements’ capacity,
therefore hinges might be formed.
• There are sealing welds to the diagonal
elements, those welds were not
considered for the capacity, although
greater capacity is expected.
Solutions Considered – Plastification

10mm Settlement is taken

and distributed by the cross
bracing with a maximum
utilisation of 56% for the
horizontal elements and 50%
for bolted connections.

Note: Restraining forces for bracing elements in hogging region to

be added to ULS forces
Solutions Considered – 5mm Settlement
5mm Settlement:

• The new structure

settles 5mm before
stitching and then
5mm when
Diagonal elements failing – up to 152% for combined tension and connected to the
bending. existing.

• Elements and
connections still
fail, although no.
Horizontal elements failing – up to 110% for combined compression
of failures and
and bending. utilisation are a bit
lower.