ABSTRACT
The planned upgrading program of waterway navigation network “One Ring Ten Rays” in the city of Shanghai is based on Grade III Standard (Navigation Standard of Inland Waterway (GB 50139-2014), China, Grade III.). Hundreds of the existing bridges involving in this regulation would be reconstructed because they were not accordable with the new waterway transportation system.
However, since there were no physical protection systems for the early-built bridges and bridge spans were not sufficiently long to preclude contact with vessels, the risk for vessel collision was keeping increasing. The existing pier safety had been an issue. Taking account of the existing pier load resistance capacity, multi-stage-construction and project budget, the Limited Protection-Against-Vessel-Collision (LPAVC) design concept was proposed to solve the pier safety issue due to the following reasons:
The existing pier structural collision resistance is limited.
The space for the PAVC facilities is restricted by the existing bridge span length as well as the surrounding utilities and pipeline network.
The PAVC system service year for certain pier is limited. Considering the program budget and traffic scheme, the waterway and bridge upgrading program would be divided into different construction stages and finished in different time periods.
The PAVC budget is limited because this system is temporary for use.
The intent of LPAVC provision is to achieve a goal such that the probability of vessel collision risk is controlled in an acceptable low level with economic cost and available resource while making a liberal allowance for construction schedule, project budget, vessel collision probability, existing bridge capacity and construction site conditions.
This paper presents a description of the overall condition of 11 existing bridges, and introduces and discusses the LPAVC system for these bridges.
