DEVELOPMENT OF AN ACCELERATED

CONSTRUCTION METHOD FOR

A CHORDED ARCH BRIDGE
Zhixiang ZHOU*, Fang LI* & Roy A. IMBSEN**
*Chongqing Jiaotong University, China

**Imbsen Consulting

Key words: Arch bridge, chord, construction, structure, test, analysis

Abstract: This paper describes a structural modification to the conventional arch bridge
and the development of a simple, effective erection method for potentially difficult job sites
where the working space is limited due to traffic requirement. The modification proposes
the use of the straight chord members to approximate a curved arch rib. In construction,
each leg-chord member can first be erected vertically with precast units or by cast-in-place
at springing in form of columns, with the leg base sitting on a temporarily restrained hinge
device at springing. A prefabricated closure-chord using lightweight steel box girder or
truss can then be attached to the top of erected leg-chord at an inclined angle with the help
of guying towers and lifting cranes to ensure stability during the erection. After the
connection of closure-chord to the leg-chord, the twin-leafs on both sides can be rotated
from plumb position down to meet at the closure. Completed frame then forms an arch
structure that serves as a self-supported system for the concrete placement of the final
closure-chord section and the construction of spandrel columns and deck. A detailed
comparison of structural characteristics, advantages and disadvantages will be discussed.
Additionally, a study including laboratory testing, construction simulation and 3D finite
element analysis for a prototype bridge will be included in the presentation.

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1. INTRODUCTION
Concrete arch bridges have advantages of aesthetic appeal, durability and economy over
other bridge types. They have been the prime bridge type built in southwestern area of
China in the last decades, due to its ability to across deep valley or river without expansive
intermediate piers and foundations. However, arch bridges are more vulnerable to
instability than other bridges during its long period of construction. The techniques used to
erect arch bridges are very complex, requiring careful planning, control and monitoring
(Taly, 1998). Failure of any single step or procedure can lead to the collapse of entire
bridge. Reported arch bridge collapses during construction have been increasing in recent
years in China. This is primarily due to rapid economic growth that leads to strong demand
for infrastructure development but lack of experienced engineers and well-trained
construction workers for required procedure execution, control and monitoring. The
increasing uncertainties and concerns on the construction safety have displaced the arch
bridge from a significant place in bridge construction in urban area and freeway system. In
the last few years, efforts have been made to develop a construction method that requires a
small amount of working space with shortened onsite erecting time, in forms of finite
element modeling, laboratory erection simulation and structure testing. As a result, a
chorded-arch bridge is developed and a pilot project for an under-crossing was completed
(see Figure 1). Continued research on development of a steel composite chorded-arch
bridge is expected to further speed of the construction process.

Figure 1: Chorded-arch bridge for a pedestrian under-crossing

2. CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES FOR ARCH BRIDGES

Most modern arch bridges are made from reinforced concrete. This type of bridge is
suitable where elaborate scaffolding or centering may be erected to support the forms,
reinforcing steel, and uncured concrete placement. In many cases, the cost of erecting and
removing the centering system represents a substantial proportion of the construction cost,
especially in the area with difficult accessibility. The use of a centering system can be
more expansive, more difficult and even impractical for long-span bridges with great
distances to the ground. To avoid the use expansive centering system with high risk of
instability, the cantilever method can be used to construct a reinforced concrete arch bridge.
With this technique, an arch bridge can be built piece by piece. The subsections are

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prefabricated in the precast yard and then transported to job site to be lifted to position.
The incomplete arch ribs are temporarily supported during the construction by cable stays
that are anchored to auxiliary towers. Thus, the structure is self-supported throughout the
entire construction process with guying cables to prevent out of plane instability. The use
of cantilever construction methods saves material and therefore expenses, but the
construction procedure is more complex and requires great care to maintain the structure
stability during construction (Barker and Puckett, 1997). Alternatives that include a
vertical or a horizontal rotating operation can significantly reduce erection time in the air
and provide a solution to working space limitation but require heavy operating equipment
and thus increases erection difficulty. In the vertical rotation alternative (see Figure 2), the
complete half leaf of arch rib can be prefabricated on the ground at the site with relatively
flat terrain. The twin-leafs can then be vertically lifted to position and meet at closure. For
bridge site with limited accessibility and working space at deep valley with steep slope, the
horizontal rotation alternative (see Figure 3) can be used. The complete half leaf of arch rib
can be prefabricated parallel to the river on the slope and then rotated horizontally to
position and meet at the closure. The use of steel stiffening frame (Liu and Li, 2002) made
with concrete-filled tubes to perform the dual role of arch centering and arch main
reinforcement can simplify the construction and significantly reduce the cost. However, the
staging stress distribution is complex and the concrete placement needs to be optimized to
control the stresses, deflections, and stability of the arch rib during construction.

Figure 2: Arch bridge erection by vertical rotation method

Figure 3a: Arch bridge erection by horizontal rotation method

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Zhou, Li & Imbsen: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ACCELERATED CONSTRUCTION METHOD FOR A CHORDED ARCH BRIDGE

Figure 3b: Arch bridge erection by horizontal rotation method

3. LOAD CARRYING CHARACTERISTICS OF CHORDED ARCH

BRIDGE
To reduce the difficult and risk of instability during construction, a modified arch bridge
with a simple replacement of curved arch rib by three straight chords (Figure 4b) is
proposed. The comparison of the arch bridge, continuous girder bridge, (Figure 4) indicates
that the modified arch bridge possesses the load carrying features of both arch and girder
bridges and therefore can have a span range between arch and girder bridge.

Figure 4: Comparison of load carrying characteristics of different bridge types

As indicated in the force diagrams (see Figure 5), this alteration introduces bending
moment in the arch rib with distribution similar to a three span continuous girder in
addition to compression. The load carrying of the arch rib has thus changed from a
compression member into a typical beam-column member.

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Concret Arch Chorded Arch

Bending Moment Diagram Bending Moment Diagram

Axial Force Diagram Axial Force Diagram

Figure 5: Comparison of force diagrams

With the advancement in materials and prestressing technology, It is possible to design a

more elegant arch section capable of carrying both compression and bending with
reinforcement and partial post-tension.

4. CONSTRUCTION SCHEME
The modification of the arch rib allows a simple, self-shored, and accelerated construction
method to be developed (see Figure 6). The construction procedure developed includes:
Construct arch foundation at springing.
Erect leg-chords vertically in form of columns with precast units or using cast-in-place
method, with the leg base sitting on temporarily restrained hinge device at springing.
Connect closure-chord prefabricated using lightweight steel box girder or truss to the top of
erected column at an angle with lifting cranes with guying cable anchored to control tower
to provide stability during the erection.
After the connection of closure-chord to the leg-chord, the complete twin-leafs can be
rotated from plumb position down to meet at the closure.
Completed rigid frame forms an arch structure that serves as a self-supported system for the
concrete placement of the final closure-chord section.
Pour concrete to embed temporary hinge device and restrain the base of leg-chord
Apply post-tension to chord members.
Construction of spandrel columns and deck.
This construction method requires a small working space at the construction site and
reduces the erection and closure time from weeks or months to a few hours. To further
speed up the construction, the spandrel and deck system can be precast offsite.

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a c

b
竖转开始
竖转开始

d
竖转终止

Figure 6: Construction procedure

5. MODELING AND TESTING

An undercross bridge of 40m based on the proposed design and construction method has
been completed in 2003 (see Figure 7). Analyses combined with laboratory testing at
reduced scale are carried for the staged of construction to assure structure stability, the
reasonable stress distribution and deflection during erection and to identify the needs for
post-tension (see Figures 7& 8).

Figure 7: A bridge under construction

Figure 8a: Structure deflection

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Figure 8b: Structure deflection

Figure 9: Structure stress distribution

6. PRIMARY ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

The proposed construction method combines simple components construction procedures
within the limited working space to achieve complex arch construction, which normally
requires weeks or months to complete, with improve safety, better economy, less traffic
disruption. The primary advantage can be summarized as the following:
(1) Structure type: Replacement of curved rib with straight cords significantly simplifies
construction procedures that lead to cost saving and improved safety. It is easy to apply
post-tension for the stress distribution adjustment.
(2) Construction technique: The developed construction procedure is a combination of
simple procedures. The vertical rotation operation of leg-chord is primarily by its own
weight. It therefore does not require expansive lifting equipment, cable stays and guying
system used in conventional arch bridge construction.

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(3) Site requirement: Initial column (leg-cords) construction requires relatively small space
and equipments. It is thus suitable for the bridge sites with difficult accessibility or
stringent requirement for traffic disruption.
Construction time and safety: The erection can be completed in a few hours. Exposure to
the potential instability during erection is significantly reduced and therefore improved
construction safety.
(4) Seismic resisting capacity: The arch-cord members form a rigid frame system in both
longitudinal and transverse directions and can thus provide required lateral performance
with ductile section design.
The disadvantages of this method include the requirement for detailed analyses, added local
reinforcement and partial post-tension.

7. CONCLUSION
The structure modification in the proposed chorded-arch bridge does not significantly
reduce aesthetic appeal of a conventional arch bridge but allow a simple, self-shored, and
accelerated construction method to be developed. The developed construction method can
provide a solution to the problems encountered in conventional arch bridge construction
such as construction safety due to potential instability, quality control affected by difficulty
and complexity in erection procedures, as well as space limitation and long construction
time. It provides effective risk mitigation as well as an accelerated bridge construction
alternative with significantly shortened onsite construction time and therefore minimized
traffic disruption, and is very useful for the construction of crossing bridges over roadways
or navigable channel of rivers. Although the concept of this method has been successfully
applied in the pilot project, extensive research is required to further improve the design
method, erection procedures, and other critical links in rotation operation before this
methodology can be implemented in design and construction practice to longer spans.

REFERENCES
[1] Zhong Liu, Fang Li, and W. M. Kim Roddis. 2002. Analytic Model of Long-Span Self-
Shored Arch Bridge. Journal of Bridge Engineering, Volume 7(1):14-21.
[2] Barker, R. M., and Puckett, J. A. 1997. Design of Highway Bridges Based on AASHTO
LRFD Bridge Design Specifications. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
[3] Taly, Narendra. 1998. Design of Modern Highway Bridge. The Mcgraw-Hill
Companies, Inc.
[4] Jacques Mathivat. 1984. The Cantilever Construction of Prestressed Concrete Bridges.
John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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