Second order approximation solution of nonlinear large deflection problems of Yongjiang Railway Bridge in Ningbo

Abstract

The solution and computational aspects on nonlinear deflection of Yongjiang Railway Bridge in Ningbo were investigated. An approximate iteration algorithm on nonlinear governing equation was presented, and the obtained results show that, if altitude difference and span of the riverbanks are taken as 5 meters and 100 meters, respectively, the maximum gradient in the middle of the bridge exceeds 5%, much larger than maximum allowance gradient in railway design code. Therefore, a new solution scheme for decreasing gradient of the bridge is put forward, that is, the altitude difference between two riverbanks can be decreased to about 1/10 of the initial magnitude by building roadbeds with 0.5% gradient and 1 kilometer length at two riverbanks. As a direct result, the deflection gradient of the railway bridge is much reduced and the value is between 0.5%∼0.6%.