Nonlinear analysis of multi-cell reinforced concrete box girder bridges

Abstract

A numerical method of analysis is developed to determine the nonlinear response, collapse mechanisms and ultimate failure loads of multi-cell RC (reinforced concrete) box girder bridges under stepwise increasing static loads. Nonlinearities considered are material nonlinearities inherent in RC members such as cracking of the concrete, yielding of the reinforcement and formation of plastic hinges due to shear and flexure. The analytical model, based on a three-dimensional grillage, is developed for multicellular structures of arbitrary plan geometry and constant height. Realistic but simple assumptions for the interaction of internal forces due to flexure, shear and torsion in the cellular structure, as well as idealized trilinear force-deformation characteristics for the individual members comprising the grillage, result in a very economical nonlinear analytical model. The proposed analytical scheme, which is based on a mixed model formulation at the element level, is demonstrated and tested on a series of numerical examples and the analytical results indicate good agreement with experimental results obtained from large scale model tests on RC box girder bridges.