Nine simply supported circular steel concrete-filled tubes (CFTs), two circular steel posttensioned concrete-filled tubes (PTCFTs), and one circular steel fiber–reinforced concrete-filled tube (FRCFT) have been tested in an instrumented drop-weight impact facility. The weight and the height of the drop-weight were varied to cause failure in some test specimens. The failure modes and local damages in those specimens have been investigated extensively. Failure in the steel tubes was commonly tensile facture or rupture along the circumference. Concrete core in the impact area commonly crushed under compression and cracked under tension. The use of prestressing strands and steel fibers significantly restrained the concrete tension cracks in the PTCFT and FRCFT specimens, respectively. The experimental results are analyzed in the context of principles of energy and momentum conservation.

The tied arch bridge system provides a unique solution to the several challenges associated with the construction of railroad overpasses and water crossings, such as restricted vertical clearance, undesirable or impractical arrangement for intermediate piers, and extremely limited traffic control during construction. The paper presents the design and construction challenges pertinent to a novel concrete-filled steel tubular tied arch system that was first introduced in the Ravenna viaduct (53 m) and applied later to the Columbus viaduct (79 m). The main structural components of the Columbus viaduct are described in detail and the advantages of the system are summarized. The detailed analysis of the system at different construction stages and design checks of main components and connections under various loading conditions are discussed. Experimental investigations conducted on concrete-filled steel tubular arch and tie specimens to validate their theoretical capacities are demonstrated. The three-dimensio...