Shear Lag Effect of a Single-Box Multi-Cell Girder with Corrugated Steel Webs

Abstract

To evaluate the shear lag effect of a single-box multi-cell girder with corrugated steel webs objectively and accurately, the shear lag warping displacement function of a box girder with corrugated steel webs was proposed. This function was created by combining the calculated characteristics of a single-box multi-cell concrete box girder. By using the energy variational method, the basic differential equation of twin- and triple-cell box girders with corrugated steel webs was presented with consideration to the effect of shear lag. An example was analyzed by using both the solution of finite element model (FEM) and the presented method to study the distribution of shear lag under concentrated load and full-span uniformly distributed load, respectively. The effect of span-width ratio on the shear lag was also discussed. Research results show that the FEM solutions and analytical solutions are in good agreement, but differences can be observed in the junctions of roof and floor box girder with corrugated steel webs. Furthermore, the overhanging edge of the cantilever plate needs to be revised. The corresponding shear lag coefficient presented in the study can be used as a reference value of the shear lag coefficient in box girder bridges with corrugated steel webs.