Dynamic analysis of box girders with tee-stiffening using unconstrained optimization techniques.

The paper presents a numerical procedure for dynamic analysis of box girders with tee-stiffeners utilizing unconstrained optimization techniques. Unlike the finite element or finite strip methods, the procedure does not require discretization to the whole structure, thus resulting in great savings in computational time. The potential and kinetic energy of the assembled structure is expressed in terms generalized functions that describe the longitudinal and transverse displacement profiles. The problem is then converted into uunconstrained optimization problem to determine the magnitude of the lowest natural frequency and the associated mode shape. Results are presented showing the sensitivity the natural frequency to the stiffener depth (d) and the flange width (b). It is shown that the number of longitudinal and transverse stiffeners largely influence the magnitude of the natural frequency (λ) of the box girder. Design guidelines are also provided to optimize the dynamic response of the structure. The procedure is very practical and can be utilized in the industry for the analysis of box girders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]