Finite Element Analysis Reinforced Concrete Slab Bridge Considering Elastic deformations of Reinforced Concrete T-type Piers

T형 교각의 탄성변형을 고려한 슬래브교의 유한요소 해석

In practical design of girder bridges or reinforced concrete slab bridges with T-type piers, it is usually assumed that vertical movements of superstructures are completely restrained at the locations of bearings(shoes) on a cap beam of the pier, The resulting vertical reactions are applied to the bearing for the calculation of bending moments and shear forces in the cap beam. However, in reality, the overhang parts of the cap beam will deform under the dead load of superstructures and the live load so that it may act as an elastic foundation. Due to the settlement of the elastic foundation, the actual distribution of the reactions at the bearings along the cap beam may be different from that obtained under the assumption that the vertical movements are fixed at the bearings. In the present study, investigated is the effects of elastic deformations of the T-type pier on the distribution of reactions at the bearings along the cap beam through 3-dimensional finite element analysis. Herein, for this purpose the whole structural system including the superstructure and piers as well is analyzed. It appears that the conventional practice which neglects the elastic deformations of the cap beam exhibits considerably different distributions of the reactions as compared with those obtained from the present finite element analysis. It is, therefore, recommended that in order to assess the reactions at bearings correctly the whole structural system be analyzed using 3-dimensional finite element analysis.