Bottom Slab Strength of PC-Barge while Alighting on Sea Bed

Abstract

The strength of bottom slab of PC-barge under the operation of alighting on the sea bed was studied experimentally and theoretically. Large cone penetration tests were performed on three model slabs. The penetration-resistance curves were obtained. The initial destruction mode was the punching shear, and then the concrete crashed. Before crashing out of the concrete, the punching shear strength of JACE's formula was in good agreement with the resistance. After crashing out of the concrete, the resistance was generated from tensile forces of reinforcements and prestressing strands.The bottom slab strength against the local contact forces of the foundation soils, the side shell strength against the local ice pressure loads, and the strength against the ship collision were discussed. The local contact forces of the foundation soils were too small to cause damage to the bottom slab. However, the local ice pressure loads were very huge, so that it was almost impossible to design the side shell free from damage. The steel-concrete sandwich wall would be the better structural element against the local ice pressure loads than the PC-slab dealt with in this paper. The strength against the ship collision was evaluated with the energy absorption capability. The absorbed energy of the PC models were much more than that of the steel models.