A Study on the Ultimate Span of a Concrete-Filled Steel Tube Arch Bridge

In order to study the ultimate span of a concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) arch bridge, taking the structural strength, stiffness, and stability as the limiting conditions, the finite element analysis method is adopted to carry out research on the influence law of a single parameter of the pipe diameter, wall thickness, and cross-section height on the ultimate span of the arch axial shape. The result is used as a sample point to determine the ultimate span of the CFST arch bridge under multifactor coupling based on the response surface method. The finite element method is used to check the strength, stiffness, stability, number of segments and maximum lifting weight, steel content rate, and steel pipe concrete constraint effect coefficient of the CFST arch bridge under the ultimate span diameter. The results show that, when analyzed using a single parameter, the ultimate span diameter of the CFST arch bridge increases with the increase in the steel pipe diameter and the cross-section height, and then decreases. Moreover, it increases with the increase in the wall thickness of the steel pipe, and the CFST arch bridge reaches the ultimate span with the increase in the steel pipe wall thickness. When the pipe diameter is 1.38 m, the CFST arch bridge reaches the ultimate span; according to a multi-parameter coupling analysis, when the pipe diameter is 1.49 m, wall thickness is 37 mm, and cross-section height is 17 m, the CFST arch bridge reaches the ultimate span of 821 m, which meets all of the limiting conditions, and, at this point, the arch axial coefficient is 1.2. The results of the finite element calculation show that the structural strength, prior to the stiffness, stability, and other limitations, just reaches the critical value of the limiting conditions.

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