As the design challenges faced by bridge engineers become more complex, the importance of properly analyzing steel girder bridges is increasing dramatically. Improper modeling of steel girder bridges can result in misleading analysis results, which can lead to constructability problems or, worse still, problems with structures in service. This paper broadly outlines the various methods of analysis and presents key modeling issues for consideration in steel girder bridge analysis. Some recent comparisons of modeling techniques demonstrate the variability in analysis results for identical bridges modeled in different ways.
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