published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Typescript (photocopy). / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-78).

The actual shear capacity of existing concrete structures is often unable to meet current standard requirements. This may be attributable to increased load requirements, inadequate shear provisions in the original design or increased demand in shear capacity owing to flexural strengthening. However, available methods of assessment are often conservative, and the actual strength may be sufficient to sustain the specified assessment load. Therefore, it is important that realistic assessment methods are employed. This research comprises an investigation into the shear capacity of prestressed concrete bridges and into the feasibility of a novel strengthening approach, both through comprehensive laboratory experimentation and theoretical analyses. The laboratory testing indicates that the shear capacity of prestressed concrete bridges, post-tensioned transversely to form a deck, can be significantly greater than suggested by the relevant standards. The strengthening method proposed, namely deep embedment of steel or fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars, is found to be feasible and very effective for reinforced concrete (RC) and prestressed concrete (PSC) beams of any size. Analytical models based on the upper-bound theorem of plasticity theory are successfully developed and applied, resulting in much more realistic predictions than those from current standards and codes when assessing shear capacity. For the strengthened beams, in addition to an upper-bound model, a strengthening design method based on a truss analogy is developed, which can be directly implemented into codes of practice. The analytical methods permit the assessment of existing longitudinally and laterally prestressed concrete bridges for shear capacity in a rational manner, and then to determine the capacity of a practical shear strengthening system if the bridge turns out to actually be understrength. Use of the proposed methodology will allow significant savings, as the costs associated with replacing or strengthening the structure can be avoided or minimised, encouraging a sustainable approach.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 18, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Thesis advisor: Dr. Vellore S. Gopalaratnam. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1972. / Mimeographed.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1960. / Mimeographed. Includes bibliographical references (p. 106-108). Also available on microfilm.

As part of the ongoing research on shear at the Phil M. Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory (FSEL) located at The University of Texas at Austin, the anchorage controlled shear capacity of prestressed concrete bridge girders was in this research studied in two distinct ways, experimentally and analytically. The results of this research are an important step towards improving understanding of strand anchorage related issues. For the experimental program, two full-scale Tx46 prestressed concrete bridge girders were fabricated at FSEL. The Tx46 girders were topped with a concrete, composite deck. Both ends of the two girders were instrumented and tested. For the analytical program, a new Anchorage Evaluation Database (AEDB) was developed, by filtering and expanding the University of Texas Prestressed Concrete Shear Database (UTPCSDB), and then evaluated. The AEDB contained 72 shear tests, of which 25 were anchorage failures and 47 were shear failures. The results and analysis from the experimental and analytical programs generated the following three main conclusions: (1) A reasonable percentage of debonding in Tx Girders does not have a marked impact on girder shear capacity calculated using the 2010 AASHTO LRFD General Procedure. (2) The AASHTO anchorage equation is conservative but not accurate. In other words, this equation cannot be used to accurately differentiate between a shear failure and an anchorage failure. In regards to conservativeness, anchorage failures in AASHTO-type girders may lead to unconservative results with respect to the 2010 AASHTO LRFD General Procedure. (3) The 2010 AASHTO anchorage resistance model and its corresponding equation do not apply to Tx Girders. Because of the Tx Girders' wider bottom flange, cracks do not propagate across the strands as they do in AASHTO-type girders. This fact yields overly conservative results for Tx Girders with respect to AASHTO Equation 5.8.3.5-1. In summary, this research uncovered the short-sided nature of the AASHTO anchorage design method. Given its short-comings, there is an obvious need for a validated, comprehensive, and rational approach to anchorage design that considers strength and serviceability. To appropriately develop this method, additional full-scale experimental testing is needed to expand the AEDB, as currently there are not enough tests to distinguish major, general trends and variables. Any future additional research would be expected to further validate and expand the significant findings that this research has produced and so take the next step toward safer, more-efficient bridge designs. / text

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Civil and Structural Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 214-223) Also available in print.