ABSTRACT
With beautiful shape and novel structure, network arch bridge has a greater in-plane stiffness compared with Lohse arch bridge, thus can be a recommended bridge type. In this paper, a network X-type tied arch bridge is used to compare the influence lines of the two structures under live load through the program MIDAS CIVIL. The results show that the network system can significantly reduce the internal forces and the displacements. The bending moment of arch rib decreases by more than 70%, tie beam decreases by more than 30% and the displacement decreases by more than 40%. Increase can be seen in the amplitude of cable forces and the largest increase appears around L/4, about 60% higher than the Lohse arch bridge. The forward iteration method is used to calculate the construction cable forces and the error between the final cable forces and the target cable forces is less than 4%.
