Design solutions for structures with optimal internal stress distribution

Ukrainian State University of Railway Transport, Structural Mechanics and Hydraulics Department, 7 Feuerbach Sq., 61050 Kharkiv, Ukraine

^* Corresponding author: glebvatulya@gmail.com

Abstract

The development of transport infrastructure, reconstruction of roads and railways, together with growing urban traffic necessitate the construction of new bridges and/or the reconstruction of existing ones. The primary objective of design is obtaining a reasonable system in compliance with the requirements for stress-strain state: equal strength or equal torque, maximum rigidity or minimum weight of the structure. In the paper, the object of optimization is the design of a three-span girder bridge of a specified length under the constant load. The sets of both statically determinate and statically indeterminate systems are considered, namely: three-span hinged girders in which the hinge joints are located in the end spans or middle span, and three-span continuous girders on unilateral supports or on resilient supports. Two variable design parameters are taken into account: the length of each end span z₁ and the position of the hinges x for the statically determinate systems, and the displacement of support assemblies joints Δ or the value that affects the displacement, i.e. flexibility of yielding supports c for the statically indeterminate ones. The authors proved that there are optimal solutions in the set of statically indeterminate systems both with unilateral and with elastic constraints.