Vol. 21, No. 5, pp. 380-389 (2025)
OPTIMAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A STEEL ARCHED
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE WITH STRUCTURAL ENHANCEMENT
USING UHPC ENCASEMENT
Canh-Tuan Nguyen *
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT)-Vietnam National University
Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM)
*(Corresponding author: E-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Received: 25 April 2024; Revised: 4 February 2025; Accepted: 6 February 2025
DOI:10.18057/IJASC.2025.21.5.2
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ABSTRACT
This study focused on improving the structural design and reducing the costs of steel arched pedestrian bridges through detailed analysis and practical application. Optimization techniques were applied to identify the best sectional sizes and configurations for steel arch bridges, revealing that the arch ribs were sensitive to lateral buckling due to their high slenderness. To counter this and enhance the load-carrying capacity and stability, the arch ribs were proposed to be encased with Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC), especially near the bearings where the free length is substantial. Through non-linear finite element analysis, this study assessed the method's impact on buckling behavior, strength enhancement, and stress distribution within the arch ribs. The application of this solution in an actual construction project highlights its practicality and efficiency for pedestrian bridge development. Furthermore, the research contributes significantly to creating specialized manufacturing and construction methods for steel arched bridges, presenting an encouraging strategy for future applications.
KEYWORDS
Load-carrying capacity, Stability enhancement, Steel arched bridge, Optimal design, UHPC integration
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