Static behavior of corrugated steel-shotcrete composite arches

Abstract

A new type of corrugated steel-shotcrete composite (CSSC) arch is proposed, which possesses the advantages of both high load-bearing capacity and ease of construction. Thus it is particularly suitable for bridges, culverts, shafts, and other projects. In this study, the static behavior of the CSSC arch under three-point loading was investigated experimentally and numerically. Four specimens with different rise-span ratios (1/2, 1/8), different spans (3 m, 6 m), and different locations of shotcrete lining (shotcrete outer lining, shotcrete inner lining) were tested. The test results show that the load-bearing capacity and initial stiffness of the CSSC arch could reach 6.8 times and 13.9 times that of the corrugated steel (CS) arch, respectively. When the load was less than 0.4 times the load-bearing capacity of the specimens, CS and shotcrete worked together. After that, the composite effect between CS and shotcrete was weakened. The ductility of the shotcrete outer lining CSSC arch is better than that of the shotcrete inner lining CSSC arch. A finite element model (FEM) was developed to investigate the influences of key parameters on the load-bearing capacity, including the thickness of materials, the strength of materials, the rise-span ratios and spans. Furthermore, calculation methods were proposed to predict the axial compressive capacity of the CSSC arch.