A 3D nonlinear finite element analysis was developed for simulating the behavior of skewed concrete slabs and to identify the response of the slab with different angles and element sizes. The purpose of this research is helping the engineering and construction industry to utilize the FEM study and results more in different structural applications.Simulations performed in ABAQUS for skewed slabs are also compared to straight and skewed slabs according to the analytical formulation by Timoshenko.The result showed that when the distance increases, the load capacity measured by reaction forces decreases for all different skew angles except angle 0° and 15° which show a stable reaction force along the entire path. .The study reveals that depending on the skew angle and the element size, the stress distribution and vertical displacements in the slab vary significantly from those in a straight slab. It is shown that the displacement decreases with the increase of the skew angle while the stresses increase with the decrease of the skew angle.There are small differences in the vertical displacements and stress distribution between the results obtained by this study and the results obtained by Timoshenko regarding the plates with skews of 0°, 30° and 45°.

This thesis has discussed both properties and geometry of concrete slabs used in bridges. It gave understanding on behavior of concrete in both tension and compression zones and how crack propagates in specimens by presenting both theory of fracture and performing concrete tests like tension splitting, uniaxial compression and uniaxial tension tests. Furthermore, it supported experimental tests with finite elements modelling for each test, and illustrated both boundary conditions and loads. The thesis has used ARAMIS cameras to observe crack propagations in all experimental tests, and its first study at LNU that emphasized on Brazilian test, because of importance of this test to describe both crushing and cracking behavior of concrete under loading. It’s an excellent opportunity to understand how concrete and steel behave individually and in combination with each other, and to understand fracture process zone, and this has been discussed in theory chapter. The geometry change that could affect stresses distributions has also described in literature and modelled to give good idea on how to model slabs in different angles in the methodology chapter. Thus, thesis will use finite elements program (Abaqus) to model both experimental specimens and concrete slabs without reinforcement to emphasize on concrete behavior and skewness effect. This means studying both properties of concrete and geometry of concrete slabs. This thesis has expanded experimental tests and chose bridges as an application.