Shear and transverse bending
Effect of transverse bending on the shear capacity of concrete bridges
The project focuses on the experimental and analytical study of the influence of transverse bending moments on the in-plane shear capacity of reinforced concrete shells.
Models that were developed in the past for this combined action, typically taking place in the webs of box girder bridges, were mainly meant for the design of new structures and are potentially too conservative for application in assessment as they pose strict limits for the allowable compression field angles. Furthermore, none of these existing models allows for an explicit check of the deformation capacity that would be required in an assessment situation.
This research project will aim to close this knowledge gap by developing improved assessment methods through a combination of theoretical investigations and large scale experiments. On basis of the experimental results a mechanically consistent model will be developed that will allow the check of the deformation capacity under combined in-plane shear and transverse bending. Ultimately, simplified methods for use in practice will be developed on basis of the analytical investigations and their subsequent validation with the experimental results.