2017 Volume 58 Issue 3 Pages 210-216
Steel truss bridges consists of many different trussed members and it is important to clarify the possibility of bridge collapse following the fracture of a member. This study evaluates the safety margin on a standard steel railway through-truss bridge after the fracture of certain members, using 3-D finite element analysis. Results showed that the safety margin remains fairly high with surviving members after the fracture of lower chord members, because floor members can make up for the lost sectional force from the fractured members. Finally, the degree of importance of each member was evaluated.
