Research on virtual trial-assembly technology of steel-pipe-arch ribs based on limited perception

Abstract Concret-filled-steel-tube arch bridges often employ solid trial-assembly for the arch ribs to confirm matching accuracy and overall alignment. However, these methods often suffer from issues such as large site occupation, multiple assembly cycles, and prolonged construction periods. This paper proposes a virtual trial-assembly technology of steel-pipe-arch ribs based on limited perception, which achieves rapid virtual trial-assembly without the need for physical segment matching. By obtaining joint control point data through limited measurement perception, the method virtually assembles the control points according to the theoretical manufacturing configuration. It extracts the flange position parameters between the arch rib segments under the ideal configuration condition, ultimately guiding the adjustment and installation of the flanges. Additionally, a self-holding device for steel structure joints is designed, which achieves precise positioning and reliable installation of flanges through parameterized adjustment. A virtual trial-assembly experiment of the steel pipe arch rib joint was conducted using the proposed method. The results of the experiment indicate that the method has high control precision and good technical performance. It has overcome the technical barriers to the application of virtual trial-assembly technology in the construction process and has good potential for promotion and application in similar bridge types.