Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
M UROY
Ingeniero Consultor
AV. SAN FELIPE N 695 - DPTO. 702, JESUS MARIA - TELEFONO 261-2694
O. M UROY
Ingeniero Consultor
AV. SAN FELIPE N 695 - DPTO. 702, JESUS MARIA - TELEFONO 261-2694
FOTO N 1A
FOTO N 1D
FOTO N 2A
FOTO N 3A
O. M UROY
Ingeniero Consultor
AV. SAN FELIPE N 695 - DPTO. 702, JESUS MARIA - TELEFONO 261-2694
O. M UROY
Ingeniero Consultor
AV. SAN FELIPE N 695 - DPTO. 702, JESUS MARIA - TELEFONO 261-2694
Technical Advisory
Tied Arch Bridges
September 28, 1978
T 5140.4
O. M UROY
Ingeniero Consultor
AV. SAN FELIPE N 695 - DPTO. 702, JESUS MARIA - TELEFONO 261-2694
PURPOSE
To acquaint the Federal Highway Administration and States with problems recently associated with tied
arch bridges and to emphasize the need for a thorough evaluation of alternate designs which provide
more redundancy. The problems associated with these structures will also be made known.
BACKGROUND
1. Tied arch bridges have experienced lamellar tearing in the hanger connections to the arch rib, due
primarily to high restraint in the welded connections. Cracking has also been observed at weld details
in the tie girder at floorbeam locations, and in the floorbeams at locations where diagonal struts have
been provided from the bottom of the floorbeam to the stringers supported on top of the floorbeam.
2. Several tied arch structures have been fabricated with electroslag welds in the tie girders and have
required bolted splice repairs to the tie girder.
3. Although these problems with electroslag welds are not indigenous to tied arch bridges, the serious
consequences of weld cracking associated with the tie girder of a tied arch structure should not be
overlooked. Repairs to rectify the above fractures have been very costly, time consuming and in many
cases have inconvenienced the traveling public.
4. While the tied arch structure may be economically competitive with other alternate designs, it is one of
the most nonredundant structures, relying entirely on the capability of two tie girders to accommodate
the total thrust imposed by the arch ribs.
5. The effect of rib shortening in a tied arch is accentuated by the effect of tie lengthening and hanger
stretch and the resultant moments in both the rib and tie girder can be largely eliminated by proper
camber, provided the fabrication and erection account for this. If fabrication and erection procedures
are such that reversing moments are not introduced into the structure, the actual stresses in the final
structure may be quite different than designed.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Preliminary and detailed development which involves a tied arch structure should be given careful
consideration in light of the previous comments. Existing structures having similar details should be
inspected carefully, especially the tie girders.
W. J. Wilkes, Director
Office of Engineering
O. M UROY
Ingeniero Consultor
AV. SAN FELIPE N 695 - DPTO. 702, JESUS MARIA - TELEFONO 261-2694