Bending behaviour of rigid-flexible combined inflatable membrane structures for floating bridge modules

This paper investigates the load-bearing characteristics of rigid-flexible combined inflatable floating bridge modules. A simplified numerical model incorporating air-membrane coupling is first developed and validated by experimental data. Accordingly, a numerical method is subsequently employed to analyse the structural behaviour of the floating bridge module, including load-deformation feature, failure modes, and the effects of key structural parameters on the structural behaviour. The results reveal an initial linear load-deformation followed by softening, leading to local buckling failures. The parametric study indicates that an increased deck plate thickness, deck height, and internal pressure effectively enhance the load-bearing capacity of the floating bridge module. An equivalent stiffness prediction model is constructed with a prediction error of 0.594 % against numerical results. Overall, this study advances the understanding of load-bearing characteristics for inflated rigid-flexible combined floating bridge modules.