Local Stress Analysis and Model Test of Arch Foot for a Steel Box Arch Bridge on High-Speed Railway

A large span X-style steel box arch bridge is under construction for a high speed railway line between Nanning and Guangzhou. A 1:8 scale model test of the arch foot for the bridge is described. Based on the two-step finite element (FE) analysis method using commercial software, a global FE model of the bridge and local FE model of arch foot are developed. Local stress distributions of the arch foot are obtained. Typical experimental stresses measured in the scale model are presented and compared against those obtained from FE analyses of different models. The results are used to provide recommendations for design of the bridge and other similar bridges.Copyright © 2010 by ASME