Temperature Field and Thermal Stresses due to Solar Radiation in Concrete Water-Conveying Box Bridge

The reasons that the differences in temperature distributing and thermal stresses are produced in water conveying Box Bridge under solar radiation are analyzed in this paper. By FEM software ANSYS, temperature field and thermal stresses are simulated. Results indicate that temperature distribution in water-conveying concrete box bridge due to solar radiation is very complex. Temperature changes in the top plate are the most severe, followed by web-plate, with the bottom slab minimum. The actual temperature distribution can be approximately considered as conic curve. Under solar radiation considerable thermal stresses are produced in concrete box bridge both along the longitudinal and transverse direction and their value exceed tensile strength of the concrete. Therefore, thermal stresses under solar radiation must be considered in the design of water-conveying box bridge and temperature reinforcing bars should be appropriately added to the structure.