Study on dynamic performance of a three-dimensional high frame supported U-shaped aqueduct

In this paper, the dynamic characteristics of a three-dimensional high frame supported U-shaped aqueduct are studied, in which the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) method is applied to simulate the interaction effects, the large amplitude sloshing effects of water and effects on the aqueduct structure, coupling effects between the 3D high frame-supported aqueduct and water in it. Results of researches show that external actions induced large water sloshing effects will greatly change the distribution and the value of hydrodynamic pressures and stresses in the aqueduct. Especially for the prestressing aqueduct structures, strong water sloshing in the aqueduct will not only greatly affect the effectiveness of the arrangement of prestressing steel bars, but also lead to crack or fatigue crack in the aqueduct. Therefore hydrodynamic pressure should be included as an important external load in the aseismatic design of a large-scale aqueduct structure, which has been neglected in normal design and seismic analysis of aqueduct structures because of limited dynamic researches. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.