Entwicklung allgemeiner Entwurfsgrundsätze für Hängernetze von Netzwerkbogenbrücken

Development of general design principles for the hanger arrangements of network arch bridges.

To use the static advantages of network arch bridges efficiently, the arrangement of the hangers is very important. The stress conditions in the arch and lower chord are strongly affected by the slope of the hangers, the number of the hangers and the position of the hanger connection points. For example, the size of the bending moments in the arch and lower chord depends on the number of hangers and the associated distances between the connection points. Furthermore, the slope of the hangers is a decisive factor for the number of relaxed hangers and the size of the stress amplitudes. Not less important is the aesthetic view of the structure, which is influenced by the kind of hanger arrangement. To optimize the hanger-network, different kinds of hanger arrangement methods have been investigated, considering different hanger slopes for each hanger. Five different and possible hanger arrangements with varying parameters (slope of the hangers, number of the hangers, span of the bridge, arch rise) have been analysed in respect to systematic selected static criterions. On the basis of these investigations, recommendations are given for engineering applications how to choose an optimized hanger arrangement according to different geometrical bridge parameters. Finally, a comparison between a network arch, based on the results of the analyses, and a structure with a hanger slope similar to existing network arch bridges is shown to clarify the advantages of the developed hanger arrangement.