Strengthening of the cable-stayed bridge over Danube at Agigea

I.R.Răcănel
Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest, Romania
C.S.Mutu
Bridges Department, Design Institute for Road, Water and Air Transport, Romania

ABSTRACT: In the design of a bridge structure the optimization process plays an important role. This pro-
cess includes economic aspects, strength and safety conditions and maintenance, retrofitting and strengthen-
ing possibilities during service life. Sometime, a good solution from strength, safety and esthetics point of
view can lead at major difficulties for maintenance and strengthening. In the design stage of a cable-stayed
bridge, several parameters are to be considered. From these, the number and position of stays plays a very
important role from strengthening point of view, a large number of stays making easier such a process. In this
paper, the strengthening of an old cable-stayed bridge over Danube at Agigea is presented. The bridge was
built in 1984 and the lack in maintenance and the climatic conditions on the site have led to severe corrosion
of the wires in the stays and the strengthening of the bridge should be performed quickly.

1 INTRODUCTION
Cable-stayed bridges are modern solutions offering
important advantages: the possibility to cover large
spans and through this reducing the number of sub-
structure elements, a relative small construction
depth together with a good esthetic.
In the design stage of such type of bridge, several
parameters concerning the bridge geometry are to be
considered: span length, height of the pylons, the
number and distribution of stays along the bridge
deck. From these, the number and position of stays
plays a very important role from possible further
strengthening point of view. A large number of stays
together with an optimized distribution can lead to
major advantages, if stays damages occur or if the
strengthening of bridge is necessary in order to ful-
fill the new traffic requirements.
In this paper, the strengthening of an old cable-
stayed bridge over Danube at Agigea is presented.
The bridge was built in 1984 as a cable-stayed of
asymmetrical type, having one pylon placed on the
left bank of the Danube-Black Sea Canal. The erec-
tion of the bridge superstructure was done by the aid
of a temporary scaffolding system. During the de-
sign stage, the different elongation capabilities of
stay cables and protection steel tubes was not ac-
counted for. Thus, after dismounting the scaffolding
system in order to transfer the loads to the cable
stays, under the self-weight of the superstructure,
some of the steel tubes were broken at their ends and
through this, the corrosion of the strands was not en-
sured anymore.
The lack in maintenance and the climatic condi-
tions on the site have led to severe corrosion of the
strands and a large number of them failed by rup-
ture. Because the number a broken wires increases
with time, the strengthening of the bridge should be
performed quickly. The bridge closure is not possi-
ble because it is the shortest link with the Constanţa
harbor and with the Romanian coast of the Black
Sea, which is visited each year by a large number of
tourists.
The geometry of the bridge and the small number
of stays made very difficult the strengthening pro-
cess. Several solutions for the strengthening were
discussed taking into account the advantages and
disadvantages of each one, especially from econom-
ic point of view, but considering also the technical
aspects related to the efficiency of the applied meth-
od and its impact on the bridge safety during the fu-
ture service period.
The goal of the paper is to describe the chosen
strengthening method together with the calculations
performed for the design of temporary supplemen-
tary structural elements used during the entire pro-
cess.
2 DESCRIPTION OF THE BRIDGE
The bridge is placed on the national road DN39
Constanţa-Mangalia at km 8+988 in Agigea city,
near to the confluence between Danube-Black Sea
Canal and Black Sea. The total bridge length is
307.70m and is covered by four spans:
Figure 1. General layout of the bridge
The bridge superstructure is a composite structure
consisting in a steel deck connected at the upper part
with a reinforced concrete slab. In cross section
there are two groups of two steel plate girders which
are forming the main girders of the superstructure.
The distance between these two groups of girders is
14.00m and between the girders in a group is 2.00m.
The girders webs are 3000mm deep. In order to re-
duce the span of the concrete slab, three rows of
welded I-shaped longitudinal stringers are foreseen.
Transversally, the main girders and the stringers are
connected using cross beams. The cross beams on
the abutments, piers and pylon, together with those
where the anchorages for the stays are disposed,
have welded steel box cross sections. The current
cross beams have I-welded cross sections and they
are placed at 7.84m along the bridge. All cross
beams have the total depth of 2050mm. The steel
deck is connected with the reinforced concrete slab
disposed above it using steel studs.
The substructure of the bridge consists in two
massive abutments, two piers having a lamellar ele-
vation and an A-shaped pylon. The pylon comprises
two inclined concrete legs with variable dimensions.
At the bottom part, the cross section of the pylon
legs is a full concrete rectangular section having the
5.50m in bridge longitudinal direction and 3.25m in
transverse direction. Starting at 12.50m above the
foundation, the cross sections of the pylon legs be-
came concrete boxes with variable dimensions: from
5.05m to 3.15m in longitudinal direction and 3.25m
40.50+40.50+162.00+23.00m. A general layout of
the bridge is shown in Figure 1.
transversally. The total height of the pylon above the
upper part of the foundation mat is 78.70m. All sub-
structure elements have deep foundations on con-
crete piles of 1.08 (abutments and pier P1) and of
1.50m (pylon and pier P2) and variable length.
The bearing of the superstructure on the substruc-
ture elements is made through steel bearing devices.
The superstructure extremity towards Constanţa was
anchored in the abutment by means of two L-shaped
steel structures, welded at the upper part on the deck
girders and resting at the bottom part on bearings
placed upside-down in order to take the tensile forc-
es caused by the presence of the loads on the unbal-
anced spans of the bridge.
The superstructure is supported by stay cables
which are anchored at the top of the pylon. For each
stay cable 48Ø5mm SBP I wires were used. The
strands were introduced in steel tubes in order to en-
sure the protection against corrosion.
Figure 2 Cross section of the bridge superstructure
A cross section of the bridge superstructure is pre-
sented in Figure 2.
3 STRENGTHENING SOLUTIONS
The large number of wires broken in a short time pe-
riod lead to the conclusion that the bridge should be
strengthened as soon as possible. Several solutions
were proposed for strengthening and they will be
briefly presented in the following. The choosing of
the appropriate solution was based on the simplicity
in execution, efficiency in use during strengthening
time period and in the future in service and on nec-
essary costs.
In the first solution (Fig. 3), a temporary bearing
steel structure should be placed in the largest span,
under the stays A4 and A7 (Fig. 1). The foundation
of this structure should be placed on the bottom of
the Canal Danube-Black Sea, on a special existing
concrete block that was foreseen during the execu-
tion of the Canal. This structure should allow the
bearing of the superstructure ensuring it’s stability
during strengthening process, by reducing the span
value and through this the value of the vertical de-
formations, which could be caused by the collapse of
one or more stays. This solution had a major disad-
vantage: it’s strongly reduces the clearance, increas-
ing the risk of collision of the temporary tower and
the ships and loaded barges traveling on the Canal.
Figure 3. First strengthening solution
The second solution (Fig. 4) consists in building
of a new pylon on the right bank of the Canal to-
gether with a concrete anchorage block for the back-
stays. Both, the pylon and the anchorage block had
deep foundations on large diameter concrete piles.
Three pairs of stays should ensure the suspension of
the bridge in the larger span being connected to the
superstructure near to the existing cable-stays A3-
A8, A4-A7, A5-A6. The disadvantages of this solu-
tion are linked with the difficulty in execution of
foundations and elevation of the new pylon and with
the lack of space behind the abutment Mangalia.
Moreover, the new anchorages needed for the tem-
porary stays could lead to difficulties during the
changing process of the damaged stays. For these
reasons this solution was also rejected.
The third solution is presented in Figure 5. In this
solution, the pylon and the existing stays are kept
and supplementary, several pairs of stays are added
in order to support the deck. The anchorages of the
existing stays A3-A8, A4-A7, A5-A6 are kept at the
deck level, but those placed at the top of the pylon
are disaffected. In order to allow the connection of
the stays on the pylon, at its top, a special composite
(steel-concrete) structure was foreseen. This solution
has a major advantage: the larger number of stays
will ensure a better behavior of the bridge under ser-
vice loads and will allow an easier change process if
further strengthening are necessary. Moreover, it is a
significant improvement from esthetical point of
view. The disadvantage of the solution is related
with the high consumption of steel because of the
larger number of stays and the steel special struc-
tures necessary to fix the stays at the deck and pylon
respectively. Also, especially at the deck level, the
construction of the anchorages for the new stays will
be complicated implying other supplementary sys-
tems on the deck. It was concluded that the solution
will have an important impact on the total costs fore-
seen for the bridge strengthening and it was also re-
jected.
Figure 4. Second strengthening solution
Figure 5. Third strengthening solution
The last proposed solution, which is also the
adopted one, is presented in Figure 6. In this solution
five pairs of supplementary temporary stays should
be added in order to support the deck during the
strengthening process. The solution implies the exe-
cution of new steel structures placed below the deck
and at the top of the pylon to anchor the stays at both
ends. Adapting the cross section of the new tempo-
rary stays to the stress level required by the breaking
of the wires in old stays and optimizing the dimen-
sions of the supplementary steel structures recom-
mend this solution as the most effective from costs
and time required to execute it. This solution was
accepted and detailed in the project for the bridge
strengthening. In the figure below, in plan view, the
temporary cables are denoted with C1…C10 and be-
low each notation, the cross section of the appropri-
Figure 6. The approved strengthening solution
4 PRESENTATION OF THE APROVED
SOLUTION
In this approved solution, five pairs of temporary
cables are used to sustain the bridge deck during the
time period necessary to change the damaged stays.
The necessary cross section of each temporary cable
was established through calculation, assuming that
in the first stage when these cables are placed on the
structure, each one should take the axial force corre-
sponding to the appropriate area of the broken wires
of existing stays plus a safety percentage. Because
for the most damaged stay the percentage of the bro-
ken wires was assumed to be around 20% from the
initial cross section and according to the distribution
low of the phenomenon, a safety percentage of 10%
was added, so that each stay must take an axial force
corresponding to 30% of the initial cross section.
Some supplementary steel components were de-
signed and manufactured in order to allow the fixing
of the temporary stays in the composite deck and in
the concrete pylon respectively. At the deck level,
under each group of plate girders near to the anchor-
ages sections of existing stays, a special steel ele-
ment was placed (Fig. 7). This element is a steel
girder with a welded box cross section, placed across
each group of two plate girders (each side of the
ate cable is sketched.
bridge) and having the upper flange extended in two
sections, in order to allow the connection with the
bottom flanges of girders.
Figure 7. The steel elements used for fixing the temporary
stays at the deck level
In Figure 7 the elements are shown upside-down. In
order to ensure the resistance capacity and the stabil-
ity of these elements, diaphragms and stiffeners are
foreseen and fixed through welding seams inside and
outside of the box cross section. Each girder has at
the end placed on the exterior side of the bridge
cross section a circular hole to allow the passing of
the temporary stays. These manufactured steel ele-
ments were connected to the flanges of the plate
girders forming the bridge cross section using high
strength bolts. For this purpose, the surfaces in con-
tact were treated by sandblast cleaning and alumi-
num coating, allowing to reach the desired value of
the friction coefficient.
 The connection of the temporary cables on the According to the climate on the site and for man-
concrete pylon was made through a steel structure ufacturing purposes all steel elements were made in
which form a steel ring around the top of the pylon steel S355J2W+N.
(Fig. 8). In order to respect the clearance gauge on
the roads from the factory to the site, this structure is
composed from two subassemblies which were con-
nected using high strength bolts with a diameter of
36mm. In bridge longitudinal direction, the ring
cross section is a welded steel box with three webs
having a depth of 2350mm. The exterior webs have
the same inclination with respect to the horizontal as
the lateral inclined legs of the pylon. In bridge trans-
verse direction, on the side of Mangalia city, the ring
cross section is a box with two webs having the
same depth as for the parts disposed in bridge longi-
tudinal direction. On the side of Constanţa city, two
Figure 9. Bottom view of the steel ring with visiting holes
webs were also used for the ring cross section, but
their depth is only 1450mm. Inside of all girders di-
aphragms were placed in order to avoid the local
buckling of the webs and flanges in compression. In
the steel plates forming the bottom flanges of the
box steel girders placed along the bridge as well as
in the interior diaphragms, visiting holes were fore-
seen in order to allow the welding (Fig. 9). Also,
steel tubes of appropriate diameters were welded in-
side the box sections allowing the passing through of
temporary cables (Fig. 9).

Figure 10. One of two subassemblies equipped with truss canti-

levers prepared for lifting

After placing on the bridge superstructure and on the

Zone for the anchorage of
temporary cables
Final plates for the bolted con-
nections of two subassemblies
Figure 8. One subassembly of the ring
For both subassemblies on one side, two truss canti-
levers with special baskets were foreseen. Adding
calculated counterweights in the basket, the equilib-
rium of the subassembly could be kept during the as-
sembling on the site made with the aid of two cranes
(Fig. 10).
Using the cranes, after bolting the joints between
the two subassemblies, the ring was lowered down
on the pylon until it stops. In order to avoid the
damage of the concrete in the pylon because of high
pressures produced by the ring, special mortars were
injected between the parts in contact.
pylon these additional steel elements, the first stage
of tensioning of the temporary cables was per-
formed. During this operation, only for short time
periods, the traffic on the bridge was restricted. Af-
ter the first stage of tensioning, the level of axial
forces in the temporary cables, as well of the vertical
and horizontal displacements of the deck and pylon
respectively were measured and compared with the
calculated values. The values were in very good ac-
cordance and will be briefly presented in a table in
the next paragraph of the paper. In order to achieve
the desired deformed shape of the deck needed for
changing the damaged stays, a second stage of ten-
sioning was performed. The level of the axial forces
in the temporary cables for this stage were also cal-
culated and delivered on the site to the builder. The
new values of the vertical superstructures displace-
ments corresponding to the new axial forces in the
temporary stays measured on the site were in good
accordance with the calculated values.
For the changing of the damaged stays, three sce-
narios were considered and they will be described in
the following.
In the first solution (Fig. 11) the existing stays are
changed one by one, symmetrically with respect to
the longitudinal axis of the bridge. The new stays
will have circular cross sections. The area of each
cross section was established through numerical cal-
culation, so that after all tensioning stages and re-
moving of the temporary cables, the deformed shape
of the bridge is identical with those at the time when
the bridge was putted in service. To limit the dis-
placement of the pylon during the change of final
stays on Constanţa side, temporary back-stays were
added on the structure (Fig. 11).
Figure 11. First solution for the change of existing stays
In the second solution (Fig. 12), the existing stays
are changed also one by one, symmetrically on two
sides of the bridge, but the existing strands are taken
out progressively and replaced with new stays of
circular form. This time, the existing stays C1-C10
and C5-C6 were replaced each by three equivalent
stays and stays C4-C7 by two equivalent stays. The
diameters of these new stays are smaller with respect
to those used in the first solution.
Figure 12. The second solution for the change of existing stays
The third solution consists in changing the strands
forming the cross section of each existing stay, one
by one and replacing them by new undamaged
strands (Fig. 13). This operation will be done also
symmetrically with respect to the bridge longitudinal
axis.
The first and the second solution have the ad-
vantage that the new stays will have a compact cir-
cular shape of the cross section, reducing the unfa-
vorable effect of wind and improving the bridge
behavior. Also, the time required for the changing
process is significantly smaller comparing with the
third solution. The disadvantage in both solutions is
related with the higher values of the axial forces in
temporary cables and remaining stays during the
changing process. One major advantage of the third
solution is that the both, at the deck level and at the
top of the pylon, the existing anchorage zones can be
kept unchanged or will suffer only minor changes.
Analyzing these aspects the third solution was pre-
ferred, even the time necessary for changing all
damaged cables increases significantly.
Figure 13. The third solution for the change of existing stays
5 FINITE ELEMENT MODELS, PERFORMED
ANALYSES AND RESULTS
In order to establish the stress state in the structural
elements and the displacements level of the bridge
components before, during and after strengthening
process, several finite elements were built. Using
these finite elements, linear and nonlinear static
analyses were performed and based on these, the de-
sign of the new introduced steel components, tempo-
rary cables and new stays could be performed.
For establishing the stress state in the existing,
temporary and new cables of the bridge a full 3D fi-
nite element model was used (Fig. 14).
Figure 14. The used global finite element model
For the piers and pylon two joint straight frame fi-
nite elements were used. The stay-cables were mod-
eled using cable finite elements with nonlinear be-
havior, which can take into account the changing in
stiffness due to the axial force level and the de-
formed shape of the cable. For the deck, four nodes
finite elements with combined membrane and shell
behavior were used (Fig. 15).
Figure 15. Detailed view of the finite element model at the
deck level
The values of the axial forces in the damaged cables
at the moment of introduction in the structure of
temporary cables was established based on a nonlin-
ear staged analysis, considering all the execution
stages performed until the opening of the bridge in
1984. Based on the observations on the site per-
formed and summarized each week, the area of the
remaining cross section of each cable was estimated
and starting from this parameter, the necessary cross
section of each temporary cable and the correspond-
ing value of the axial forces needed for tensioning
could be calculated.
cables, placed on the pylon and under the bridge
deck could be performed. Thus, other finite element
model were built and analyzed.
In Figure 16 a detailed deformed view of the fi-
nite element model of the steel ring are presented.
For the model, isoparametric thin shell finite ele-
ments were used. Special supports conditions were
imposed into the model in order to simulate the con-
tact existing between the two lateral faces of the
steel ring and the pylon legs. The loads acting on the
model were considered the axial forces in the tempo-
rary cables calculated using the global finite ele-
ments model and the staged nonlinear analysis. For
safety reasons, the axial forces were increased up to
the values corresponding the ultimate resistance of
the steel in the strands used for the temporary cables.
Based on this, the considered dimensions for the
cross section of the girders forming the ring as well
the position and the thickness of steel plates could be
checked. Under these extreme loading conditions,
the displacements of some parts of the ring with the
values of 2-3mm were below the allowable limits
and equivalent von Mises stress distribution indi-
cates that only punctually, the values are over-
passing the yield strength of the steel with the max-
imum values of 703N/mm2.

Table 1. Measured on the site and calculated values of the axial

forces in temporary cables in the first tensioning stage
__________________________________________________
Cable Measured axial force ___________________
________________ Calculated axial force
kN
__________________________________________________ kN
C1 2216.90 2173.10
C10 2215.50 2174.00
C2 592.70 734.40
C9 500.20 734.50
C3 1016.00 948.60
C8 966.70 956.30 Figure 16. Detailed view of the deformed shape of the ring un-
C4 879.30 816.70 der considered loads
C7 846.60 818.90
C5 1175.70 1027.80 In Figure 17 the contours of equivalent von Mises
C6 1151.30 1029.60 stresses are shown.
In Table 1 the calculated and measured on the site
values of the tensioning forces for the first stage of
strengthening are given. It can be seen that is a good
accordance between measured and calculated values
with one exception for the cables C2 and C9. These
temporary cables are near to the pier P1 so they are
not so efficient in reality. In the finite element model
the real bearing of the structure on the pier could not
be exactly modeled.
In order to change the existing damaged stay-
cables, a desired calculated deformed shape of
bridge was obtained by re-tensioning the temporary
cables. Using these forces, the design of the steel
Figure 17. Contours of the von Mises stresses
structures, needed for the anchorage of temporary
A separate finite elements model (Fig. 18) was con-
sidered for the steel elements placed under the
bridge deck, where the anchorages for the temporary
cables were placed. The gauge of these elements was
limited, because there should be placed near to the
anchorages of existing damaged cables.
Figure 18. Model used for the steel elements placed under the
bridge deck
Figure 19. Contours of von Mises stresses under considered
loads
Using this model, these steel elements were checked
in order to avoid resistance and loss of stability
problems that can occur under the considered loads.
Moreover, the bolted connections between the flang-
es of the girders forming the bridge deck and the up-
per flanges of the steel pieces used for the anchorag-
es were also correct designed. The values of the
displacements and the peak values of the von Mises
stresses (Fig. 19) were below the allowable limits.
6 CONCLUSIONS
In this paper the strengthening solution of an old ca-
ble-stayed bridge over Danube is presented. Due to
the lack in maintenance and climatic conditions, the
wires which are forming the existing stays suffered
severe damage by corrosion. Several solutions for
the strengthening were studied and finally, based on
technical, economical and ease in execution aspects,
one solution was chosen. This solution implies to
use of some temporary cables, appropriate ten-
sioned, to sustaining the deck during the strengthen-
ing process. The complexity of the problem lead to
use of several complex finite elements models for
establishing the deformations and stress state in all
bridge elements and for the correct design of the
new steel structural elements needed for the
strengthening process.
At this time, the strengthening operation is going
on and the bridge will regain a safety coefficient
which allow the future use in very good conditions.
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