SHEAR BEHAVIOR OF FULL-SCALE POST-TENSIONED PRESTRESSED CONCRETE BRIDGE GIRDERS

Test data on shear behavior of full-scale posttensioned prestressed concrete girders (PPCGs) is very limited. Therefore, this study aimed to experimentally explore the shear behavior of PPCGs. Large-scale PPCGs were designed, fabricated, and tested on 1.2 m deep x 10.6 m long PPCGs with medium-high and high-strength concretes. The girders were tested to failure while deflections, steel stirrup strains, cracking pattern, and average strains in the web were monitored. The stirrup strains showed a sudden increase immediately after cracking and continue to grow as the load increases. To measure the average strains in 3 directions, triangular grids of linear variable differential transducers (LVDTs) were also placed at the shear regions of the girders. These LVDTs enable measurement of average strains in the vertical, longitudinal, and diagonal directions even after the diagonal cracking has occurred. Shear strains, principal strains, and principal directions were calculated from these measured average strains. It was found that the angle of principal strain direction decreases as the applied load increases and that it approaches ~23-25 deg at ultimate load.

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  • English

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  • Accession Number: 00971262
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Mar 7 2004 12:00AM