Numerical modelling of continuous concrete box girder bridges considering construction stages

The aim of this study is to analyse the concrete continuous box girder bridges by considering segmentally construction stages through balanced cantilever method. Time-dependent material properties of concrete and steel are also taken into account. Budan Bridge is selected as a numerical example. The Bridge constructed with balanced cantilever method and located on Artvin–Erzurum highway, Turkey, at 55 + 729.00–56 + 079.00 km is modelled using SAP2000 program. Geometric nonlinearities are taken into consideration in the analysis using P-Delta and large displacement criterion. Time-dependent material properties are considered as compressive strength, aging, shrinkage and creep for concrete, and relaxation for steel. The structural behaviour of the bridge at different construction stages is examined. Variation of internal forces such as bending moment, shear forces and axial forces, and displacements for bridge deck and pier are given with detail.Analyses show that, to obtain real behaviour of concrete bridges, segmentally construction stage analysis using time dependent material properties and geometric nonlinearity should be considered, because construction period continue along time and loads may change during this period and after.