Thermal correlation analysis of a long-span suspension bridge static responses

Harsh service environment degenerates the performance of bridges even leads to catastrophic collapse. Structural temperature has been widely recognized as one of the most negative environmental effects on bridges. The structural responses are deeply affected by the variation and distribution of temperatures on bridges. Therefore, identifying the correlations between them is a significant issue for structural safety assessment. In this study, the relationships between the temperature induced static response and the surrounding weather factors are investigated based on the long-term field measurements of a long-span suspension bridge. The correlations of the meteorological parameters between the bridge filed and the nearby weather station, and the relations of structural static responses to the air temperature, are investigated. The results indicate that relationships of meteorological parameters between nearby weather station and the bridge field can be predicted. The correlation between the static responses and the air temperature and is remarkable with high correlation coefficient. The conclusions are expected to provide reference for the design and evaluation of longspan suspension bridges.