Study on the time-varying temperature field of small radius curved concrete box girder bridges

Bridges might have time-varying sunlit–shaded areas due to the rotation and revolution of Earth. This work aims at studying the effects of time-varying sunlit–shaded areas on the temperature field of small radius curved concrete box girder bridges. Based on the law of Earth’s rotation and revolution, the solar position is first obtained by considering the relative position between the Sun and the location of the bridge site on Earth. Then, the sunlit–shaded areas of small radius curved concrete bridges are determined using the ray tracing algorithm. With the consideration of various environmental conditions, including the time-varying solar radiation and wind speed, the three-dimensional finite element model of a small radius curved concrete bridge is created in ANSYS and the temperature field of the bridge could be solved. With a 30 m long curved concrete bridge taken as an example, the temperature distribution profiles of the bridge are investigated. The results and analysis provide a good reference for the thermal analysis and design of small radius curved concrete bridges.