Abstract: The calculation model of solar radiation has an effect on the temperature field simulation of a bridge structure under ambient environment. By means of the heat transfer theory and finite element method, the three transition solar radiation model of ASHRAE model, Hottel model and Dilger model are adopted to derive the finite element formulation of a bridge structure under solar radiation. As an example of the concrete-filled steel tube piers, temperature field analysis is conducted by use of the three models on the Greater Heat Day and Greater Cold Day. The results show that the highest temperature and the largest nonlinear temperature difference reach more than 52℃ and 20℃ under the clean-day climate respectively, and the difference results of the cross-section temperature filed due to three models show that Hottel model is good-to-use and universal, while ASHRAE model is more practical for the region of sufficient observation data of solar radiation for regression of the model unknowns parameters.