Single-cavity self-balancing support for bridge

Abstract

The single-cavity self-balancing support for the bridge comprises a support body made of an elastic material, a sealing cavity is formed in the support body, and the sealing cavity is filled with a pressure-bearing medium; the support provides reliable support in the vertical direction by utilizing the flow characteristic of a pressure-bearing medium and the deformation capacity of an elastic material of the support, and meets the requirement of bridge displacement in the horizontal direction. The multiple support bodies can be communicated in the transverse bridge direction or the longitudinal bridge direction through the communicating pipes to form a supporting system, pressure-bearing media circulate among the supports, automatic balance adjustment is achieved, and all the supports are stressed in a balanced mode. Even if the phenomenon of uneven stress occurs under the long-term action of the load, the balance state can be recovered by adjusting the pressure of the pressure-bearing medium, and the stress uniformity, safety and durability of the bridge structure are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a bridge bearing, specifically a single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges. Background Technology

[0002] Bridge supports are force-transmitting devices installed on bridge piers and abutments to support the bridge span structure. They are key components connecting the superstructure and substructure of a bridge. The main functions of supports include: (1) transferring the self-weight of the superstructure, vehicle loads, temperature effects, etc., to the substructure; (2) accommodating the displacement of the beam caused by temperature, concrete shrinkage and creep, etc.; and (3) coordinating the deformation of the superstructure and substructure. Based on their constraint capacity, supports can be divided into fixed supports, sliding supports, and hinged supports.

[0003] Currently, the commonly used bearings in bridge engineering include: (1) Plate rubber bearings: made of multiple layers of rubber sheets and thin steel plates laminated and vulcanized. They are simple in structure, low in cost, and easy to maintain, and are widely used in small and medium span bridges. However, rubber materials are prone to aging and have poor durability, and usually need to be replaced every 15-20 years. (2) Pot bearings: composed of an upper bearing plate, a rubber sealing ring, an intermediate steel pot, and a bottom plate. They have high load-bearing capacity and good displacement performance, and are suitable for large span bridges. However, they have complex structures, high costs, and are difficult to replace. (3) Spherical bearings: achieve rotation function through spherical contact. They have high load-bearing capacity and flexible rotation, and are often used in large span bridges. However, they require high processing precision and are expensive. (4) Steel bearings: have good durability and are often used in railway bridges, but steel is prone to corrosion and requires regular painting and maintenance.

[0004] In actual engineering, uneven stress distribution on supports is a common problem. The main reasons include: (1) Manufacturing deviation: When the beam is prefabricated, the flatness of the bottom surface is difficult to control completely, resulting in deviations and uneven contact between the beam and the support. (2) Construction deviation: When the top surface of the pier or cap beam is constructed, there are deviations in elevation and flatness, resulting in uneven contact between the bottom surface of the support and the pier. (3) Geometric factors: In curved beam bridges, the existence of longitudinal curvature and transverse slope makes the support naturally in a state of uneven stress, which is particularly significant in small radius curved bridges. (4) Temperature effect: Temperature changes cause the beam to expand and contract and the angle of rotation to change the stress distribution of the support. (5) Long-term load effect: Factors such as concrete creep and aging of support materials cause the stress state of the support to change over time.

[0005] Uneven stress on supports can lead to a series of chain problems: (1) Defects in the support itself: excessive local pressure can cause rubber tearing, steel plate buckling, and bolt shearing; insufficient local pressure can cause the support to slip or become detached. (2) Changes in the stress on the superstructure: uneven support can cause changes in the spatial stress system of the beam, generating additional torque and stress, which can lead to cracking of the beam. (3) Problems in multi-beam systems: in multi-beam systems such as hollow slabs and T-beams, uneven stress on supports can lead to increased stress differences among beams. The weakest points in the transverse connection (diaphragms, hinges, wet joints) will crack first, and after the transverse connection is weakened, it will evolve into a single beam bearing, which will significantly reduce the bearing capacity. (4) Deterioration in durability: uneven stress accelerates fatigue damage to the supports and shortens their service life.

[0006] To address the problem of uneven stress on bearings, the following measures are currently mainly adopted: (1) Precision construction: improving the construction accuracy of beams and piers, but due to technological limitations, deviations are difficult to completely eliminate and the cost is high. (2) Adjustment pads: stainless steel plates are placed under the bearings to adjust the elevation and flatness, but the adjustment range is limited and cannot cope with long-term changes. (3) Replacement of bearings: improving the stress by jacking up the beam, removing the old bearings, and installing new bearings, but the construction is complex, costly, and time-consuming, and has a significant impact on traffic. None of these methods can achieve dynamic adjustment and automatic balance of bearing stress.

[0007] In summary, existing bearings suffer from problems such as uneven stress distribution, lack of adjustment capabilities, and difficulty in replacement and maintenance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new type of bearing that can: (1) automatically balance stress to adapt to construction deviations and long-term deformation; (2) be easy to adjust, enabling active control of the stress state; (3) be easy to replace, reducing maintenance costs; and (4) have good durability, extending service life. This is of great significance for improving the safety, durability, and economy of bridge structures.

[0008] Therefore, it is necessary to solve the problem of stress balance in bridge supports. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges, which solves the problem of uneven force distribution in bridge bearings and is easy to replace.

[0010] The present invention provides a single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges, comprising a bearing body made of elastic material, wherein a sealed chamber is provided within the bearing body and the sealed chamber is filled with a pressure-bearing medium.

[0011] Furthermore, the sealed chamber is equipped with a pressure regulating valve for regulating the pressure inside the sealed chamber;

[0012] Furthermore, the sealed chamber is connected to a pressure gauge outside the support body via a pipe, and a locking valve is installed on the pipe;

[0013] Furthermore, the pressure-bearing medium is a liquid, a gas, or a mixture of liquid and gas, and the pressure inside the sealing cavity is adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of pressure-bearing medium filling the sealing cavity;

[0014] Furthermore, the liquid is one of water, hydraulic oil, high-pressure oil, or a mixture of the above liquids;

[0015] Furthermore, the support body is made of highly elastic rubber material, and the cross-section of the support body is square or circular;

[0016] Furthermore, the upper and / or lower surfaces of the support body are provided with a low-friction coefficient material layer;

[0017] Furthermore, the low-friction coefficient material layer is graphene or polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0018] Furthermore, the upper and lower surfaces of the support body are reinforced with steel plates, alloy plates, and organic plates;

[0019] Furthermore, the support body is provided with reinforcing ribs;

[0020] Furthermore, the reinforcing rib is a steel wire or a steel plate;

[0021] Furthermore, multiple support bodies are arranged along the transverse and / or longitudinal direction of the bridge, and the support bodies are connected by a connecting pipe to form a transverse and / or longitudinal support system. The pressure-bearing medium between the support bodies can circulate between them through the connecting pipe to achieve automatic balance adjustment among multiple supports.

[0022] Furthermore, the liquid-filled volume within the sealed cavity of the support body accounts for 20-80% of the total volume of the support;

[0023] Furthermore, the support is equipped with a pressure monitoring system, which includes a pressure sensor and a data transmission module, for real-time monitoring of the pressure of the pressure medium in the sealed cavity and transmitting the pressure data to the monitoring platform to analyze the magnitude of the stress, the uniformity of the stress, and the structural safety status of the bridge structure.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges of this invention, after being pressurized with a bearing medium within an elastic bearing, serves as the overall support for the bridge. It exhibits good support capacity in the height direction and excellent deformation capacity in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. Under load, each bearing can bear force evenly, thereby making the beam structure more stress-balanced. Even if an imbalance in force occurs under long-term load, the bearing position can be readjusted by adjusting the pressure of the bearing medium inside the bearing, restoring the stress balance and the stress equilibrium of the bridge structure. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0026] Figure 1 This is an elevation view of the liquid self-balancing support of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a top view of a circular support;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a top view of a square support;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a structure that connects multiple support bodies into a support system along the longitudinal or transverse direction of the bridge.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram showing how multiple support bodies are connected into a support system along the longitudinal and transverse directions of the bridge. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Figure 1 This is an elevation view of the liquid self-balancing support of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view of a circular support; Figure 3 This is a top view of a square support. Figure 4 A cross-sectional structural diagram showing multiple support bodies connected into a support system along the longitudinal or transverse direction of the bridge. Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram showing multiple bearing bodies connected into a support system along the longitudinal and transverse directions of the bridge. As shown in the figure, the single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges in this embodiment includes a bearing body 1 made of elastic material. The bearing body 1 has a sealed chamber 2 filled with a pressure-bearing medium 3. The pressure-bearing medium is pressed into the elastic bearing to support the bridge. The sealed chamber 2 is located at the center of the bearing body 1 and is an independent chamber used for injecting the pressure-bearing medium 3. After the pressure-bearing medium 3 is injected, the bearing has a certain pressure and is used to support the beam after installation. The bearing has good support capacity in the height direction and good deformation capacity in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Because the horizontal shear resistance of the pressure-bearing medium 3 is essentially zero, and because the horizontal friction of the bearing is extremely small, it accommodates the displacement of the bearing. Therefore, the beam can move freely in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Under load, each bearing can bear the force evenly, thus making the beam structure more stress-balanced.

[0032] In this embodiment, the sealed chamber 2 is equipped with a pressure regulating valve 4 for adjusting the pressure inside the sealed chamber 2. The sealed chamber 2 is connected to a pressure gauge outside the support body 1 via a pipe, and a locking valve is installed on the pipe. The support initially has a pressure. After installation, the unbalanced force inside the support can be adjusted by pressurizing or unloading through the valve. The pressure of the gas or liquid inside the support can be adjusted by the valve. Even if the support experiences unbalanced force under long-term load, the position of the support can be readjusted by adjusting the pressure of the pressure-bearing medium inside the support, restoring it to a state of force balance. The amount of pressurization can be calculated from the set initial pressure, which is existing technology and will not be elaborated here.

[0033] In this embodiment, the pressure-bearing medium 3 is a liquid, a gas, or a mixture of liquid and gas. The pressure inside the sealed cavity is adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of pressure-bearing medium. The liquid is one of water, hydraulic oil, high-pressure oil, or a mixture of the above liquids. Liquids are used as pressure-bearing media because of their uniform pressure transmission, good sealing, and safety. When water is injected, it may freeze in northern regions, requiring the injection of anti-freezing agents or hydraulic oil, etc.

[0034] In this embodiment, the support body 1 is made of a highly elastic rubber material, and the cross-section of the support body 1 is square or circular; the support body 1, as an outer shell, can be a highly elastic rubber material, or it can be a mixture of rubber and polymer materials.

[0035] As one embodiment, a low-friction coefficient material layer can be optionally provided on the upper and / or lower surfaces of the support body 1; the low-friction coefficient material layer is graphene or polytetrafluoroethylene. A low-friction coefficient material layer can be provided on the upper or lower surface, or both surfaces of the support body, to reduce horizontal resistance, increase displacement tolerance, and extend service life. Here, the upper or lower surface of the support body refers to the contact surface with the bridge. The coefficient of friction (μ) is the ratio of frictional force to normal force. The smaller the value, the lower the adhesion between the two surfaces and the smaller the sliding resistance. A low coefficient of friction typically refers to μ < 0.2, and can even be as low as around 0.02 with specific material combinations.

[0036] As another embodiment, the upper and lower surfaces of the support body 1 can be reinforced with steel plates, alloy plates, or organic plates. Alternatively, reinforcing plates can be directly provided on the upper and lower surfaces without using a low-friction coefficient material layer.

[0037] In this embodiment, the support body 1 is provided with reinforcing ribs; the reinforcing ribs play the role of increasing the vertical support force. The reinforcing ribs are optional and mainly depend on the material of the support body 1 itself.

[0038] In this embodiment, the reinforcing rib is a steel wire or a steel plate; it enhances the structural strength of the vertical support.

[0039] In this embodiment, multiple support bodies 1 are arranged along the transverse and / or longitudinal direction of the bridge. The support bodies 1 are connected by a connecting pipe 5 to form a transverse and / or longitudinal support system. The pressure-bearing medium between the support bodies 1 can circulate between them through the connecting pipe 5. Each support body 1 can be used individually as a component supporting the beam on a pier. Each support body 1 on each pier acts as an independent support, and the force and balance adjustment of each support body 1 on each pier do not interfere with or affect each other. A more preferred approach is to design several supports corresponding to each span of the bridge. Besides each support bearing its own load, it can also achieve a certain degree of balance adjustment together with the supports of other supports, ensuring that the support of each support on the bridge is consistent or has a certain balance relationship. For example, multiple supports along the transverse direction (… Figure 4 ), longitudinal direction (Figure 4) or transverse direction and longitudinal direction ( Figure 5 The support bodies 1 set on the corresponding piers are connected by connecting pipes 5 to form a support system. Under the action of load, the pressure medium 3 in each support body 1 can flow and coordinate with each other to balance the force of each support and play the role of adjusting the force balance of the support system as a whole.

[0040] In this embodiment, the liquid volume in the sealed cavity of the support body accounts for 20-80% of the total volume of the support; to ensure that the support has sufficient load-bearing capacity.

[0041] In this embodiment, the bearing is equipped with a pressure monitoring system, which includes a pressure sensor and a data transmission module. This system monitors the pressure of the pressure-bearing medium within the sealed cavity in real time and transmits the pressure data to a monitoring platform to analyze the magnitude, uniformity, and structural safety status of the bridge structure. During the bridge's service life, the pressure of each bearing can be monitored simultaneously. Sensors acquire and analyze relevant pressure-related data. When the analysis results exceed a set value, a remote alarm (via wired or wireless means, such as fiber optic communication modules, 5G modules, UWB modules, etc.) notifies bridge maintenance personnel, thus realizing the three main functions of bridge service monitoring and alarm.

[0042] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges, characterized in that: It includes a support body made of elastic material, wherein the support body has a sealed chamber filled with a pressure-bearing medium.

2. The single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealed chamber is equipped with a pressure regulating valve to regulate the pressure inside the sealed chamber.

3. The single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sealed chamber is connected to a pressure gauge outside the support body via a pipe, and a locking valve is installed on the pipe.

4. The single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pressure-bearing medium is a liquid, a gas, or a mixture of liquid and gas. The pressure inside the sealing cavity is adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of pressure-bearing medium filling the sealing cavity.

5. The single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges according to claim 3, characterized in that: The liquid is one of water, hydraulic oil, high-pressure oil, or a mixture of the above liquids.

6. The single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support body is made of highly elastic rubber material, and the cross-section of the support body is square or circular.

7. The liquid self-balancing bearing for bridges according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper and / or lower surfaces of the support body are provided with a low-friction coefficient material layer.

8. The self-balancing liquid bearing for bridges according to claim 7, characterized in that: The low-friction coefficient material layer is graphene or polytetrafluoroethylene.

9. The single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper and lower surfaces of the support body are reinforced with steel plates, alloy plates, and organic plates.

10. The single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support body is provided with reinforcing ribs.

11. The single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges according to claim 10, characterized in that: The reinforcing ribs are made of steel wire or steel plate.

12. The single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges according to claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple support bodies are arranged along the transverse and / or longitudinal direction of the bridge. The support bodies are connected by connecting pipes to form a transverse and / or longitudinal support system. The pressure-bearing medium between the support bodies can circulate between them through the connecting pipes to achieve automatic balance adjustment among multiple supports.

13. The single-chamber self-balancing bearing for bridges according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid-filled volume of the sealed cavity of the support body accounts for 20-80% of the total volume of the support.

14. The liquid self-balancing bearing for bridges according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support is equipped with a pressure monitoring system, which includes a pressure sensor and a data transmission module. The system is used to monitor the pressure of the pressure medium in the sealed cavity in real time and transmit the pressure data to the monitoring platform to analyze the magnitude of the stress, the uniformity of the stress, and the structural safety status of the bridge structure.

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