An investigation into the usefulness of a method of analysis for straight, uniform-section, box-girder bridge decks with side cantilevers

Maisel and Ro11, in a technical report for the London Cement and Concrete Association, proposed a method of analysis, in the form of an extension of simple beam theory, which is suitable for application to straight, rectangular, single-cell, uniform-section concrete box-girder bridge-decks with side cantilevers. This method only requires a calculator for execution and if a computer is used, results for maximum stresses may be obtained almost immediately. The authors state that since their method does not discretize the structure as in the case of finite element methods, the requirements in terms of computer capacity and therefore computation time is considerably reduced. Maisel, in a later Cement and Concrete Association development report, examining the use of small computer capacity for the analysis of concrete boxbeams, indicates that the hand method was being programmed. Since the usefulness of such a method is obvious, especially if available in program form, it remains to confirm the accuracy and range of application of the method. For this purpose, four Perspex box-girder models of different depths were constructed and tested. Strain gauges were fitted at the mid- and quarter-span sections and readings for four to five loadcases per model were taken. Several problems relating to the creep and thermal properties of Perspex had to be overcome during the experimental phase. Strain values obtained from the model tests were converted to stresses and these were compared to the stresses calculated by the recommended method of analysis proposed by Maisel and Ro11. Genera lly, the exper imental results showed a very good correlation with the analytical values and thus adequately confirmed the accuracy of the method.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Civil Engineering

Year dc:date.issued

1991

Author dc:creator

• Retief, F J

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• De Kock, M O

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8450

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8450