• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.715-726
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• 2017

The paper presents a numerical analysis of a steel-soil composite (SSC) culvert in the scope of static (dead and live) loads. The Abaqus program based on the finite element method (FEM) was used for calculations. Maximum displacements were obtained in the shell crown, and the largest stresses in the haunches. Calculation results were compared with the experimental ones and previous calculations obtained from the Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis (ARSA) program. The shapes of calculated displacements and stresses are similar to those obtained with the experiment, but the absolute values were generally higher than measured ones. The relative differences of calculated and measured values were in the range of 5-23% for displacements, and 15-42% for stresses. Developed calculation model of the SSC culvert in the Abaqus program allows obtaining reasonable values of internal forces in the culvert. Using both calculation programs, the relative differences for displacements were in the range of 15-39%, and 17-44% for stresses in favour of the Abaqus program. Three design methods (Sundquist-Pettersson, Duncan and CHBDC) were used to calculate the axial thrusts and bending moments. Obtained values were compared with test results. Generally, the design methods have conservative assumptions, especially in the live loads distribution, safety factors and consideration the interaction between soil and steel structure.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.397-408
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• 2024

Buried box culverts are crucial elements of transportation infrastructure. However, their behavior under foundation loads is not well understood, indicating a significant gap in existing research. This study aims to bridge this gap by conducting a detailed numerical analysis using the Finite Element Method and Abaqus software. The research evaluates the behavior of buried box culverts by examining their interaction with surrounding soil and the pressures from surface foundation loads. Key variables such as embedment depth, culvert wall thickness, concrete material properties, foundation pressure, foundation width, soil elastic modulus, and friction angle are altered to understand their combined effects on structural response. The methodology employs a validated 2D numerical model under plane strain conditions. Parametric studies highlight the critical role of culvert depth (H) in influencing earth pressure and bending moments. Foundation pressure and width demonstrate complex interdependencies affecting culvert behavior. Variations in culvert materials' elastic modulus show minimal impact. It was found that the lower wall of the buried culvert experiences higher average pressure compared to the other two walls, due to the combined effects of the culvert's weight and down drag forces on the side walls. Furthermore, while the pressure distribution on the top and bottom walls is parabolic, the pressure on the side walls follows a different pattern, differing from that of the other two walls.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.13-24
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• 2020

A systematic approach to assess the safety of corrugated steel plate structures has not been established yet. Therefore, an improved safety assessment procedure was proposed in this study by considering the characteristics of corrugated steel plate structures in which the dead load of backfill soil is dominant and the live load effect is minimized. The proposed procedure can consider the combined effect of axial force and bending moment on the safety, based on the Soil-Culvert Interaction (SCI) method, and can differentiate the maintenance scheme according to the calculated plasticity index. There is also an advantage in enhancing the accuracy of assessment, utilizing the measured displacements. Furthermore, improved methods were proposed by discussing various ways for reasonably improving the proposed assessment procedure. The safety of an actual structure and a full-scale test specimen was assessed by applying the proposed procedure. The conventional assessment procedure significantly overestimated the load-carrying capacity, whereas the proposed procedure resulted in a reasonable level of safety. Therefore, the procedure proposed in this study is expected to contribute to the establishment of proper maintenance plan such as the quantitative condition assessment and strengthening of corrugated steel plate structure.