Incremental launching of Bridges SuDoVo

This project contains 2 composite railway bridges with steel double I cross-section. Bridges are located between cities Sudoměřice and Votice, Czech Republic, and are planned for construction in 2020. First is with 4 spans (42,5+50+42,5+37,8 m with 3 continuous spans and simply supported last span; total length 175,5 m) and second with 5 continuous spans (32+3x40+32 m; total length 185 m). 

These bridges were calculated in order to design special and adjustable launching nose for incremental launching construction process. In order to achieve maximal precision in the forces in the nose, the steel superstructure was modelled with 2D elements, which most accurately describes the special behavior of the structure. Additional braces and flanges of frame bracing system were modelled as 1D members.

As both bridges are in curve with different radius and there is different number of spans, the models of steel part of the structure were modelled by a new approach to us, by using OpenAPI of SCIA Engineer. OpenAPI gives most freedom in modelling, while there is some knowledge of programming techniques required. We chose to make a C# program with text input, which contained longitudinal specifications of geometry and dimensions of flanges, web and transverse bracing. The input file was read by the algorithm and object-oriented variables were filled with definition of material, cross-sections, nodes, beams, slabs and supports. SCIA Engineer was the launched from the code, structure was imported automatically.

Elements of the launching nose were already available in another SCIA Engineer project and it was transferred via Table Input and connected manually by adding additional connection plates. Piers, foundation blocks and piles were added to the model manually.

Reference: Created internally exclusively for Contruss Engineering, 4/2019, www.contruss.cz