Uneven exposure to e.g. solar radiation can cause temperature differences between various
structural parts of a bridge, which leads to tensile stresses if the parts cannot move freely. In this
study, thermal simulations and stress calculations on a model of a portal frame bridge are
performed with the aim of evaluating the temperature difference between the bridge parts. It is
shown that the temperature difference between parts which is proposed by Eurocode 1 is
overestimated, thus the resulting stress distribution being unrealistic. Using the design method
proposed by Eurocode 1 is therefore likely to exaggerate the required reinforcement in crack
width limit design, which in turn would lead to unnecessary costs and environmental impacts.
Further studies are needed in order to determine proper thermal load values and temperature
distributions.
Thermal load distribution on the ALT-II limiter of TEXTOR-94 during RI mode operation and during disruptions
