Accelerated construction of self-anchored suspension bridge using novel tower-girder anchorage technique

Abstract

The traditional construction methods (e.g., erecting cable after girder) of the self-anchored suspension bridge can interrupt traffic during the construction stage due to the installation of temporary supports. That severely limits the wide application of this type of bridge. Thus, this study proposes a novel tower-girder anchorage (TGA) technique for accelerated construction of self-anchored suspension bridges. By using the proposed TGA technique, the midspan girder segments are hoisted and connected to the hangers, which subsequently avoids the interruption of traffic during the construction period. The proposed TGA technique would reduce the construction cost, time of erection, and demolition of temporary scaffolds. To ensure structural safety and performance during the proposed construction process, the force transfer mechanism and construction process of the TGA technique are assessed. To this end, the devices for the TGA technique and system transformation are designed. The constructability of the TGA technique on accelerated bridge construction is evaluated by a real-world application: Dongtiao River Bridge in China. A finite-element model is established to analyze the construction process. Simulation analysis and field test data are compared. The comparison demonstrates that the TGA technique can safely and economically achieve accelerated construction of self-anchored suspension bridges.