Time-varying non-uniform temperature distributions in concrete box girders caused by solar radiation in various regions in China

Non-uniform temperature distributions of concrete box girders are induced by solar radiation depending on the structural shapes and shadows cast on them. Using a real-time shadow-selection algorithm and finite element method, the thermodynamic analysis of concrete box girders is carried out to simul...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAdvances in mechanical engineering Vol. 14; no. 2
Main Authors Sheng, Xingwang, Shi, Tao, Zheng, Weiqi, Lou, Ping
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.02.2022
Sage Publications Ltd
SAGE Publishing
Subjects
Absorptivity
Algorithms
Box girders
Building codes
Concrete
Finite element method
Highway bridges
Radiation
Shadows
Solar radiation
Structural design
Structural shapes
China
time-varying non-uniform temperature distribution
regional influence
solar radiation
temperature gradient model
Concrete box girder
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Summary:Non-uniform temperature distributions of concrete box girders are induced by solar radiation depending on the structural shapes and shadows cast on them. Using a real-time shadow-selection algorithm and finite element method, the thermodynamic analysis of concrete box girders is carried out to simulate their time-varying temperature distributions. The theoretical results of the finite element model (FEM) are verified by measured data. Based on this, a series of FEMs of concrete box girders are established considering regional influences, and the temperature gradients of concrete box girders in different climatic zones in China are studied. The most unfavorable temperature gradient of concrete box girders in China is obtained, and it is important for design and not only for health monitoring. Moreover, comparing the temperature gradient modes in the specifications of various countries, the temperature gradient of concrete box girders in the China Highway Bridges Design Code is conservative for structural design. Furthermore, the influences on structural temperature distributions of varying environmental factors induced by regional influences are explored, including atmospheric transparency coefficient (ATC) and solar radiation absorptivity (SRA).
ISSN:1687-8132
1687-8140
DOI:10.1177/16878140221076458