Thesis supervisor: Sándor Ádány
Location of studies (in Hungarian): BME Tartószerkezetek Mechanikája Tanszék Abbreviation of location of studies: BMETM
Description of the research topic:
There are approx. 200.000 stone or brick masonry bridges in Europe, mostly built in the nineteenth century. Despite of the significantly increased traffic and traffic loads, most of these bridges are still in use, due to the rather conservative design applied during their erection. However, the verification and optional strengthening of these bridges is an actual task even today.
Most of these bridges are skew, that is the angle between the bridge longitudinal axis and the spanned obstacle (e.g., river, road) is different from the right angle. This fact has a potentially important effect on the mechanical behaviour of the bridge. While there are well established analytical and numerical methods for the analysis and load bearing capacity prediction of the square bridges, the analysis of the skew masonry arch bridges is mostly approximate, based on the analysis of a similar square bridge by using correction factors (the validity of which are questionable). This approximate analysis is theoretically problematic, since there is an important difference between the square and skew arch bridges: while the behaviour of the first type is essentially planar, the behaviour of the latter one is essentially three-dimensional.
The available results suggests that deviation from the right angle might have a favourable effect on the load bearing capacity. The behaviour and capacity, however, is dependent on the bridge geometry as well as on the construction technique. In the frame of the proposed PhD research various geometries and construction techniques are to be considered, analysed under the effect of static (e.g., self-weight, traffic load, base settlement) and of dynamic (mostly: seismic) loading. The global aim of the research is to explore and understand the differences between the behaviour of square and skew masonry arch bridges, as well as, potentially, to make proposals for the practice.
The behaviour of the bridge might be influenced by the interaction of the arch and its immediate environment (e.g., backfilling, abutments). This problem is also included in the research.
The primary tools for the investigations are the discrete element method and the finite element method. Both methods are available at the Department of Structural Mechanics by commercial software packages: 3DEC for three-dimensional discrete element method, Ansys for finite element method. Application of further analytical or numerical techniques, tools might be necessary, too.
Number of students who can be accepted: 1
Deadline for application: 2018-05-31
2024. IV. 17. ODT ülés Az ODT következő ülésére 2024. június 14-én, pénteken 10.00 órakor kerül sor a Semmelweis Egyetem Szenátusi termében (Bp. Üllői út 26. I. emelet).
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