The structural deformed shape (SDS) is considered an important factor for evaluating structural conditions owing to its direct relationship with structural stiffness. Recently, an SDS estimation method based on displacement data from a limited number of data points was developed. Although the method showed good performance with a sufficient number of measured data points, application of the SDS estimation method for on-site structures has been quite limited because collecting sufficient displacement data measured from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) can be quite expensive. Thus, the development of an affordable SDS estimation method with a certain level of accuracy is essential for field application of the SDS estimation technique. This paper proposes an improved SDS estimation method using displacement data combined with additional slope and strain data that can improve the accuracy of the SDS estimation method and reduce the required number of GNSSs. The estimation algorithm was established based on shape superposition with various combined response data (displacement, slope, and strain) and the least-squares method. The proposed SDS estimation method was verified using a finite element method model. In the validation process, three important issues that may affect the estimation accuracy were analyzed: effect of shape function type, sensor placement method, and effectiveness of using multi-response data. Then, the improved SDS estimation method developed in this study was compared with existing SDS estimation methods from the literature. Consequently, it was found that the proposed method can reduce the number of displacement data required to estimate rational SDS by using additional slope and strain data. It is expected that cost-effective structural health monitoring (SHM) can be established using the proposed estimation method.

When eccentric live loads are applied on the deck overhang of steel-box girder bridges, torsional moments, comprising pure torsional and distortional moments are generated on the box sections. The torsional moment on the bridge girders distorts the box girder cross-sections, inducing additional normal stress components and causing instability of the box girder sections in severe cases. Hence, it is essential to install intermediate diaphragms in the box sections to minimize distortional behaviors. Although the applied live loads are critical parameters that influence intermediate diaphragm spacings, the effects of live load combinations have rarely been addressed in the design of intermediate diaphragm spacings. Thus, load combinations should be evaluated to design the intermediate diaphragm spacing of the box girder bridges more thoroughly. In this study, the load combination effects on the distortional behavior and adequate intermediate diaphragm spacing were evaluated through a finite element analysis (FEA). Composite rectangular box girder bridges with different cross-sectional aspect ratios ($H/B$) and spans ($L$) were analyzed in the parametric study. It was found that the truck load, which represents the concentrated load, significantly influences the distortional warping normal stress, normal stress ratio, and intermediate diaphragm spacing. In addition, the FEA results showed that the controlling load combinations could be varied with the span.

To enhance structural performance of concrete and reduce its self-weight, ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) with superior structural performance has been developed. As UHPC members with 180 MPa or above of the compressive strength can be designed, a rational assessment of thin-walled UHPC structural member may be required to prevent unexpected buckling failure that has not been considered while designing conventional concrete members. In this study, theoretical local buckling behavior of the thin-walled UHPC flanges was investigated using geometrical and material nonlinear analysis with imperfections (GMNIA). For the failure criteria of UHPC, a concrete damaged plasticity (CDP) model was applied to the analysis. Additionally, an elastic-perfectly plastic material model for steel materials was considered as a reference to establish differences in local buckling behavior between the UHPC and steel flanges. Finite element approaches were compared and verified based on test data in the literature. Finally, this study offers several important findings on theoretical local buckling and local bending behavior of UHPC flanges. The inelastic local buckling behavior of UHPC flanges was mainly affected by crack propagation due to its low tensile strength. Based on this study, possibility of the local buckling of UHPC flanges was discussed.

If bending and torsional moments are applied to an I-shaped beam member, the coupling of those two forces could reduce the bending moment capacity of that member. Therefore, the interaction between bending and torsional moments is an important issue for horizontally curved members that are always simultaneously subjected to bending and torsion. In this study, the behavior of the horizontally curved steel I-beam was investigated through numerical analysis. The ultimate state of sharply curved members that showed large displacement was defined in accordance with the stiffness reduction ratio to consist of strength curves. Based on the analysis results, interaction curves were established, and a strength equation was derived. The uniform torsional moment capacity, curvature, and slenderness parameters were considered in the equation, which were the main factors that affected the ultimate strength of curved members. The curvature effect was considered individually, so that the strength of the straight or curved girder could be estimated with a unified equation. To verify the accuracy of the suggested equation, experimental studies were also conducted. Consequently, the suggested equation shows very good agreement with the test results, and is expected to provide useful information for the design of curved members.