Real-Time Adjustment and Prediction of Installation Alignment in Cable-Stayed Bridges: Considering Temperature and Construction Errors

Ensuring precise installation alignment during the construction of cable-stayed bridges is critical for final structural performance. Field measurements reveal that girder alignment exhibits significantly greater sensitivity to temperature fluctuations during construction compared to pylon deformation and cable forces, necessitating explicit consideration of thermal effects. This paper presents a novel, simplified real-time method for predicting and adjusting installation alignment, explicitly and simultaneously accounting for both construction errors and temperature effects. The method integrates a Markov chain-enhanced grey model (GM(1,1)) for predicting construction error adjustments with a simplified formula for calculating real-time temperature adjustments derived from on-site surveys. Successfully applied to an 800-meter main span cable-stayed bridge, the method demonstrates proven feasibility and effectiveness in field conditions. This research provides bridge engineers with a practical tool for enhanced alignment control and delivers valuable field data on temperature-induced structural responses during construction.