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Network Tied Arch

Modeling, Analysis & Design

Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Contents
The following will be contents of this training
1.

Introduction

2.

Modeling

- Summary of In-depth Discussion Session

- Unit Setting

- midas Civil GUI

- Materials & Sections

-Project Information

- Geometry: Arch, Hanger Arrangements, Tie, Wind Braces

- Boundaries & Loads

3.

Analysis and Design

- Moving Load
- Final Stage Analysis
- Unknown Load Factors
- Hanger Force Tuning
- Set up for Construction Stage

- Construction Stage Analysis

- Time History Analysis
- Hanger Loss

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Introduction

Summary of in-depth discussion session:

Analysis and design considerations

Construction and final stage analysis

midas Civils functions:

Unknown load factor

Cable load tuning

Moving load tracer

midas Civil Graphic User Interface (GUI)

Project information

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Summary of in-depth discussion

Design of Network Tied Arch
Moving Load Tracer

1. Final Stage

Calculate cable forces & cable force tuning

Correct geometry

Critical live load

Extraordinary Loads (accidental hanger loss)

Hanger Force Adjustment

Optimization problem
influence matrix

Cable Tuning

Time History Analysis

2. Construction Stage

Nonlinear behavior of cables

Temporary supports situation

Unknown Load Factor

Lack of Fit force

Hanger forces at different construction stages

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Midas Civil graphic user interface

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Project information
Bridge Type: Network Tied Arch
Bridge Length: 300 ft
Arch Height : 60 ft
Width : 30 ft

Number of Lanes : 2
60 ft

300 ft

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Project information
Network Tied Arch bridge need to be studied in two different stages, Construction stage and
Final stage, so we need two model files for each stage.

We start with Final stage model and apply all the ultimate static loads to the structure and run
a linear static analysis. The main purpose of this stage is to find optimized pretensioning
forces in each hanger for the best performance of the bridge.

The second part is investigation of bridges behavior during erection. In this stage the hanger
forces obtained from the first model will be used as initial pretensioning force of hangers
during construction stages, and responses of the bridge will be monitored. The model used in
this stage contains 42 construction stages starting from tie and arch erection with help of
temporary supports and ending by installing hangers and remove the temporary supports.

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Modeling-part 1
Part 1

Unit setting

Define material and sections

Geometry

Arch

Hangers

Cross beams

Longitudinal girders

Structure Alignment

Braces

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Units setting

File New Project

Tools Unit System

1. Length ft
2. Force kips
3. Click OK

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Materials

Properties Material Properties

1. Click Add

1
2

4
5

2. Type of Design Steel

3. Name A501
4. Standard ASTM09(S)
5. DB A501
6. Click OK
Similarly Define Grade C5000 Material
in Type of Design as Concrete

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Sections
Properties Section Properties

1
2

1. Click Add
2. Type I section
3. Name Arch

4. Select User Type

5. Enter Parameters as Shown
6. Click OK
Similarly Define Sections: W24X250,
W10X22, S24X121and cable section
with diameter .16feet

Properties Thickness
Define Thickness of .5 feet

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Geometry modeling

Create Node
Node/Element Create Nodes
1. Enter the following coordinates:
(0,0,0), (300, 0, 0), (150, 0, 60) (-75, 0 ,-300)
4
1

Create Element

Node/Element Create Elements

1. Material 1: A501
2. Section 2: Tie

3. Click on Nodal Connectivity box to turn green

4. Select nodes 1 and 2 by clicking

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Arch

Create Arch
Node/Element Create Line Element on Curve

1. Select Arc by 3 points

2. Material 1: A501
3. Section 1: Arch

4. Number: 16
5. Select corresponding nodes from model view

as following
P1: Node 1
P2: Node 3

P3: Node 2
5

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Hanger arrangement

Create Hangers
1

Node/Element Create Elements

1. Element Type: Tension Only/Hook/Cable
2. Material 1: A501
3. Section 5: cable
4. Click on Nodal Connectivity box to turn green
5. Connect node 4 to all nodes on the Arch (5 to

18)
6. Select all elements and node below the Tie and

delete them

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Hangers

Mirror the hangers frame

Node/Element Elements Mirror
1. Select all hangers
2. Mode: copy

2
3

3. Reflection: y-z plane, x=150 ft

4. Apply

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Hangers

Intersect hangers & tie

Node/Element Intersectt
1. Select tie elements
2. Apply

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Structure alignment

Rotate Structure
Node/Element Elements Rotate

1. Select entire structure

2. Mode: move

3. Angle of Rotation: -10

4. Axis of Rotation: last option (2 points)
5. Select nodes 1 and 2 respectively or enter
coordinates:
1st point: (0, 0, 0)

10
4
5

2nd point: (300, 0, 0)

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Arch

Mirror the network frame

Node/Element Elements Rotate

1. Select entire structure

2. Mode: copy

3. Reflection: z-x plane, y=15 ft

4. Apply

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Cross beams

Node/Element Extrude
1. Select Nodes 1, 2, 21, 24, 26, 28,
30, 36, 39
2. Material 1. A501
3. Section 3: Tie
4. Dx,dy,dz 0, 5, 0

2
3

5. Number of times 6

6. Click -> Apply

It will create one more node

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Longitudinal girders

Create Longitudinal girders

Node/Element Create Elements
1. Material 1: A501
2. Section 3: Girder
3. Create 5 longitudinal girders by connecting
corresponding nodes of cross beams at two
ends

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Wind brace

Create wind braces

Node/Element Create Elements
1. Material 1: A501
2. Section 4: Braces
3. Create wind braces

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Modeling-part 2 (Final Stage)

Part 2: this model will be used for Final stage analysis

Boundary conditions

Groups for construction stages (structure, boundary and load groups)

Abutments

Loads

Static load cases

Self weight

Superimposed dead load

Pretensioning force of hangers

Moving load

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Groups for construction staging

Group Tab ( Tree Menu)
1. Define the Groups for
- Structure: Deck Stage 1 to 4,
Arch Stage 1 to 5, Hanger 1 to 30,
Temp Restrain 1 to 4, Lack of Fit
(all hangers), cross beams
- Boundary: End Supports, Temp
Supports 1 to 4
- Load Group: Self Weight , SDL,
Pretension 1 to 30

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Abutments
Boundary Define Supports
1. Select Nodes at the left and the

right end of the bridge

2. Boundary Group Name End
Supports
3. Select Dall

2
1

4. Click Apply

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Static load cases

Load Static Loads Static Load
Cases
1. Name Self Weight
2. Type Dead Load
3. Click Add
Similarly Define SDL with Type Dead
Load and Pretension 1 to 30 with
type Prestress (PS)

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Self weight
Load Static Loads Self Weight
1. Load Case Name Self Weight
2. Load Group Name Self Weight
3. Z -1
4. Click Add
1
2

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Superimposed dead load

1
2

4
3

Load Static Loads Element

1. Load Case Name SDL
2. Load Group Name SDL
3. w -70 lb/in
4. Select all longitudinal girders (tie)
5. Click Apply

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Pretensioning Load

Hanger 5
1
Hanger 2
2
Hanger 1

3
5

Load Temp./Prestress Pretension Loads

1. Load Case Name Prestress 1
2. Load Group Name Prestress 1
3. Prestress Load: 1 lb
4. Select 1st hangers from left (group: Hanger 1)
5. Click Apply
6. Repeat the process for all hanger groups

29

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Moving Load

Load Moving load

1. Select AASHTO-LRFD
2. Click Traffic Line Lanes

3. Add
4. Name: Lane 1
5. Eccentricity: -7.5 ft
6. Wheel Spacing: 6 ft
7. Vehicular load distribution: select
cross beam group
8. Select by 2 points
9. Select nodes 1 and 2
10. Apply
11. Repeat for Lane 2 with
eccentricity of -22.5

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Moving Load
Load> Moving Load Analysis Data> Moving Load case.

5. Enter a Load case name: MVL

6. Check or modify Multiple Presence Factor.

7.Select loading effect for sub load case as

Independent .

8. Add Sub-Load case.

9. Select one of the vehicles..
10. Scale factor as 1, and min. number of loaded lane
as 1 and max. as 2.
11. Select lanes L1 and L2.

12. Click OK.

13. Similarly create load case for HL-93 Tandem

Vehicle.

10

Load> Moving Load Analysis Data>

Vehicles.

1. Click Add Standard

2. Click on Vehicle load type

11

3. Select HL-93 TRK as first vehicle load

type., DLA = 33%,Click Apply
4. Select HL-93 TDM as second vehicle
load type. Click OK

12

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Analysis
Moving Load

Moving load tracer find critical live load configuration

Convert to static load

Final Stage Analysis

Unknown Load factors

Hanger force tuning

Construction Stage Analysis

Geometry nonlinearity

Lack of Fit force

Time History Analysis

Hanger loss

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Run analysis 1: Final Stage

33

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Results: Moving Load Tracer

Results Moving Load Moving Load Tracer Beam Force/Moment
1. Moving load case: Min MLC1
2. Element: 81
3. Apply: the vehicle arrangement that causes maximum negative bending moment will be shown
4. Click Write Min/max Load to file to save this load arrangement as a static load

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Load combination

Results Load Combination

1. Create a load combination which

have all load cases (SW, SDL,

Pretensions 1~30) with factor 1.
2. Name: LCB
3. Select Self Weight, Factor: 1
4. Repeat for all load cases

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Unknown Load Factor

The static analysis is performed on final stage model file. Initially a unit pretension force is applied on all hangers, in this stage,
after static analysis, we are going to use Unknown Load Factor function to find required pretensioned load in each hanger for
certain constrains.

Results Bridge Cable Control

Unknown Load Factor
1. Add New
2. Name: Hanger forces
3. Load Combination: Mid Span
4. Add Constraints
5. Name: Deck 131
6. Displacement
7. Node ID: 131
8. Component: Dz

9. Select Inequality
10. Upper and lower bound: 0.75 & -0.75
11.Repeat the process for Nodes 132 to 137

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Unknown Load Factor

1. Load Comb: LCB

2. Square
3. Both
4. Check all Pretension load cases as
Unknown
5. Select all Constraints
6. Click get Unknown Load Factors

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Hanger forces
Factors are calculated for each
hanger. This factor is the
required pretensioning force to
satisfy previously defined
constraints. To generate the
corresponding load
combination:
1. Click Make Load
Combination
2. Name: Hanger forces
3. Ok
4. Influence Matrix could be
extracted by selecting
Influence Matrix.

5. Ok

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Hanger forces
The load factors, which are required pretensioning forces to be applied to each hanger
was calculated and a new load combination is created and the results could be checked
under this load combination.

Now the effect of change in pretensioning level of each hanger could be investigated by
using Cable Tuning function. The effect of such change on structure response could be
monitors as well.

The pretensioning loads obtained at this step, will be used for construction stages analysis.

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Hanger force tuning

Results Bridge Cable Control
Cable Force Tuning
1. Load Combination: Hanger force
2. Name: Hanger forces
3. Click to generate new results
4. Name: Deck moment
5. Group: Deck stage 4
6. Type: Beam force, MY
7. x-Axix: +DX, Element
8. Add
9. Close
10. By changing in level of
pretensioning of each hanger,
bending moment changes

11. Save load combination as a new

combination with all the changes

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

New set up for construction stages (modeling-part 3)

this model will be used for Construction stage analysis

Boundary conditions
Temporary supports

Construction Stages set up

Define stages

CS analysis control data

Loads:
Update pretensioning force of hangers (obtained from Final Stage Analysis)

In this stage, use the same model just add 42 construction stages, temporary supports (used for erection) and
apply pretensioning forces obtained from the previous part.

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Temporary supports

Boundary Define Supports

1. Select Nodes at the 1st cross

beams from the left and support

2. Boundary Group Name Temp
Supports1

3. Select Dz
4. Click Apply
1

Similarly define supports for nodes

at other cross beams by names
Temp supports 2 and 3 as the

group
4

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Update pretensioning forces

Unit pretensioning forces of hanger (which

defined in the first model) should be updated
and replaced by factored obtained previously
from Unknown Load Factors function

1. Right click on Pretensioning Load and select

Tables
2. Update all prestressing by corresponding
force (factors)
3. Data could be arranged in Excel and then
copied to the table

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Define stages

Load Construction Stage

1. Generate
2. Name: Construction Stage
3. Suffix: 1 to 42
4. Ok
5. Change the names to:
Deck 1 ~ 4
Arch 1 ~ 5
Hanger 1 ~ 30
Remove Falsework 1 ~ 3

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Construction stage analysis control data

midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Run analysis 2: Construction Stage

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midas Civil
Bridging Your Innovations to Realities

Results: Lack of Fit Force

Results Results Table Construction Stage Lack of Fit Force Truss

Thank You

Pouya Banibayat, PhD

Sharing Knowledge, Gaining Experience, Making Difference

pb@midasuser.com
Organized By MIDASoft, Inc.

646-852-9289