Establishment of wear indicator system and wear analysis for modular expansion joints under evolving traffic loads
Ning Liu,Huanju Liu,Suhana Binti Koting,Xiangqun Hu,Yu'ang Zhan
Abstract
Under the evolution of traffic flow, Modular Expansion Joints (MEJs) needs to meet the needs of adapting to constrained deformation on both sides while bearing direct vehicular loads. This operational state results in continuous non-uniform spatial coupling of multiple internal components under time-varying load, making the wear assessment of inter-component connecting materials both complex and essential. Firstly, based on the spatial movement patterns of the internal components and the locations of connecting materials in MEJs, the wear forms of the connecting material between the components are determined and the indicators are parameterized, and the spatial index system for wear in MEJs is proposed. Secondly, simulate the evolution of operational traffic flow, establish a bridge-expansion joint orthogonal model at the same scale, solve the switching and allocation of vehicle load forms on the model, and improve the traffic-bridge-expansion joint analysis system. Finally, taking a typical cable-stayed bridge equipped with MEJs as the engineering background, the wear indicators of MEJs under the evolution of traffic flow are analyzed. The results show that: (1) the patterns of wear of connecting materials in the MEJs is different from the rule of absolute displacement of center beam commonly used in the evaluation of MEJs, and there is also a multiple difference in the value. The absolute displacement of center beam cannot be used for the evaluation of wear of MEJs; (2) the cumulative relative displacements between adjacent center beams and between upper/lower beams all exhibit monotonically decreasing trends from both sides toward the middle of the MEJs structure. The minimum and maximum wear indicators of shear springs show a difference of approximately 9.2 times, while the wear indicators of bearing between upper/lower beams demonstrate a difference reaching 21.24 times. The shear springs and connecting materials between upper/lower beams require differentiated parameter designs. Connecting materials within the same-side displacement box may adopt identical parameters, whereas those on different sides require differentiated designs.
Ning Liu — School of Civil Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China; Key Laboratory of Transport Industry of Bridge Detection Reinforcement Technology (Chang'an University), Xi'an, 710000, China
Huanju Liu — School of Civil Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China; Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia
Suhana Binti Koting — Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia
Xiangqun Hu — School of Civil Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
Yu'ang Zhan — School of Civil Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
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