Analysis of Mechanical Characteristics of Steel-Concrete Composite Flat Link Slab on Simply-Supported Beam Bridge

Abstract

Based on linear elastic theory, the concrete cracking problem of link slab on simply supported beam bridge was explored and theoretical analysis of bridge link slabs were carried out. Meanwhile, the formulas for calculating the stress of link slab were deduced and the cause for continuous damage of bridge deck was quantitatively analyzed. On the base of analysis of its failure mechanism, a new type of steel-concrete composite flat link slab was proposed. The results of full-scale model tests and finite element (FE) analysis indicated that it can alter the transfer path of internal forced inside the link slab and then concrete cracking can be prevented effectively. It was found that the main factors to link slab failure were influentially descending from girder end upturning, longitudinal tensile action and girder end rotation. Furthermore, the unbonded region between girder and link slab can effectively decrease the continuous stress and then alleviate the damage to bridge deck. All those results in this paper can be used as a reference and guidance for further research and development of new type of bridge link slab and jointless bridge.