DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL STEEL RING RESTRAINER WITH RECTANGULAR SECTION

Abstract

 Steel ring restrainer (SRR) with rectangular section is a new type of restrainer to prevent the unseating of bridge spans. In the present study, a parametric study on the influences of the geometric dimensions and steel grades on the static behavior of the SRR was conducted after the experimental and numerical investigations. In addition, empirical equations predicting the force-displacement relationship of the SRRs were derived. The results show that all of the geometric dimensions and steel grades affect the static behavior of the SRRs. Among them, the sectional area and steel grades have the most remarkable effect on the ultimate strength and tangent stiffness, while the radius of the curved part most significantly affects the ductility of the SRRs. Moreover, the empirical equations have good precision to assess the static curve of the SRRs.