State-of-the-art review of contact and friction analysis with a spherical hinge and structural stability research on horizontal rotating bridges

Horizontal rotation is the most commonly used method for constructing rotating bridges. A spherical hinge is a critical component in a horizontal rotation system of bridges, and the hinge has a complex stress state that directly affects security and stability during rotation construction. This paper takes spherical hinge as the research object, and sorts out the logical relationship between the contact and frictional behavior of spherical hinges and the stability of rotary structures. It systematically summarizes the current research status on the mechanical behavior of spherical hinges in the contact and friction processes and the structural stability of horizontal rotating bridges. The contact problem of a spherical hinge is investigated in terms of elasticity mechanics and contact mechanics theory. Research studies that utilize mechanical analytical models to solve contact stress and numerical simulation methods to analyze contact problems are summarized. The vertical friction moment of the spherical hinge is obtained based on a weighing test, the intrinsic connection between the contact and friction forces during the rotation of the spherical hinge is explored, and the friction force model and calculated traction force during the process of horizontal rotation are discussed. Finally, the form of instability and the mechanism for overturning the resistance of the rotating structure are analyzed. Research on the unbalanced factor of the rotating system and the effect of external loads on the stability of the structural anti-overturning are also discussed. This paper summarizes the research studies on the contact and friction analysis and the structural stability of the horizontal rotating process of bridges to provide theoretical guidance for optimizing spherical hinges and constructing rotating bridges.