Abstract
Prefabricated post-tensioned prestressed concrete (PTC) girders with high degrees of prestressing have been developed continuously in recent bridge designs to reach longer spans, higher quality, and larger load-bearing capacity. However, during the prefabrication process, several inclined and horizontal cracks were observed at the ends of a new style post-tensioned concrete girder, which could have a negative impact on the girders’ longevity. In this study, a nonlinear finite element analysis technique was utilized to illustrate how concrete reacts and the mechanisms behind typical cracking patterns during the actual post-tensioning sequence. The prestressing load of a PTC girder was simulated with an improved cooling temperature method that accounts for immediate prestress losses. The field of principle tensile strain patterns and primary strain trajectories explained the overall mechanism underlying typical cracking behaviors. The results showed that the horizontal cracks under the anchorage plate (behavior 1) were generated by the bursting force, whereas the inclined cracks (behavior 2) and the horizontal cracks between the strands N1 and N2 anchor plates (behavior 3) were caused due to the spalling force. The effects of self-weight, girder end forms, as well as the transfer length of the prestressing strands, were discussed. The result demonstrates that both the self-weight and girder end shapes have a considerable effect on the behaviors of the anchorage zone. It is suggested that the transfer length of the anchor head be greater than 26 times of strand diameter to achieve the same effective stresses as the theoretical values.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abdelatif AO, Owen JS, Hussein MFM (2015) Modelling the prestress transfer in pre-tensioned concrete elements. Finite Element Analysis Design 94:47–63, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.finel.2014.09.007
AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specification Section C.5.11.4.2 (2012) American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Bridge Design Specifications Washington DC
Arab AA, Badie SS, Manzari MT (2011) A methodological approach for finite element modeling of pretensioned concrete members at the release of pretensioning. Engineering Structures 33(6):1918–1929, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2011.02.028
Ayoub A, Filippou FC (2009) Finite-element model for pretensioned prestressed concrete girders. Journal of Structure Engineering 136:401–409, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000132
Brenkus NR, Tatar J, Hamilton HR, Consolazio GR (2019) Simplified finite element modeling of post-tensioned concrete members with mixed bonded and unbonded tendons. Engineering Structures 179:387–397, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.10.051
Chinese Code for the Design of Concrete Structures (2010) Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China. Code for design of concrete structures (GB 50010–2010), Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press (2010) Beijing
De CW, Van MK, Boel V, Taerwe L (2020) Design of anchorage zones of pretensioned concrete girders: A comparison of nonlinear 3D FEM results with measurements on a full scale beam. Applied Sciences 10(22):8221, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app10228221
Design of Hydraulic Concrete Structures (2008) Ministry of water resources of the people’s Republic of China. Design Code for Hydraulic Concrete Structures (SL 191–2008), Beijing: China Water & Power Press
Gálvez JC, Benítez JM, Tork B, Casati MJ, Cendón DA (2009) Splitting failure of precast prestressed concrete during the release of the prestressing force. Engineering Failure Analysis 16(8):2618–2634, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2009.04.023
Garg AK, Abolmaali A (2009) Finite-element modeling and analysis of reinforced concrete box culverts. Journal of Transportation Engineering 135(3):121–128, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)0733-947x(2009)135:3(121)
Hamilton HR, Consolazio GR, BE R (2013) End region detailing of pretensioned concrete bridge girders. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Civil and Coastal Engineering
Huang D, Hung S, Pilakoutas K (2018) Modeling for assessment of long-term behavior of prestressed concrete box-girder bridges. Journal of Bridge Engineering 23(3):04018002, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0001210
Jia J, Zhang K, Wu S, Xiong T, Bai Y, Li W (2021) Vertical cracking at girder ends during post-tensioning of prefabricated prestress concrete bridge T-girders. Structural Concrete 22(5):3094–3108, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.202100004
JTG 3362–2018 (2018) Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China. Specifications for design of highway reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete bridges and culverts (JTG 3362–2018), Beijing: China Communications Press
Marshall WT, Mattock AH (1962) Control of horizontal cracking in the ends of pretensioned prestressed concrete girders. PCI Journal 7:56–74
Mirza JF, Tawfik ME (1978) End cracking in prestressed members during detensioning. PCI Journal 23:66–78
Okumus P, Oliva MG, Becker S (2012) Nonlinear finite element modeling of cracking at ends of pretensioned bridge girders. Engineering Structural 40:267–275, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2012.02.033
Ronanki VS, Burkhalter DI, Aaleti S, Song W, Richardson JA (2017) Experimental and analytical investigation of end zone cracking in BT-78 girders. Engineering Structural 151:503–517, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2017.08.014
Steinberg E, Semendary A (2017) Evaluation of revised details of end zone of the prestressed concrete I-girders using finite element method. Structural and Infrastructure Engineering 13:1390–1403, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15732479.2016.1271437
Wang D, Wang L, Liu Y, Tan B, Liu Y (2020) Failure mechanism investigation of bottom plate in concrete box girder bridges. Engineering Failure Analysis 116:104711, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2020.104711
Yang Y, Peng J, Liu X, Cai SCS, Zhang, J (2021) Probability analysis of web cracking of corroded prestressed concrete box-girder bridges considering aleatory and epistemic uncertainties. Engineering Structures 228:111486, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.111486
Yapar O, Basu PK, Nordendale N (2015) Accurate finite element modeling of pretensioned prestressed concrete beams. Engineering Structures 101:163–178, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2015.07.018
Ye C, Butler LJ, Elshafie MZEB, Middleton CR (2020) Evaluating prestress losses in a prestressed concrete girder railway bridge using distributed and discrete fibre optic sensors. Construction and Building Materials 247:118518, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118518
Yettram AL, Robbins K (1970) Stresses in post-tensioned uniform members with eccentric and multiple anchorages. Magazine of Concrete Research 22(73):209–218, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1680/macr.1970.22.73.209
Zhou L, Liu Z, He Z (2015) Further investigation of transverse stresses and bursting forces in post-tensioned anchorage zones. Structural Concrete 16(1):84–92, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.201400005
Acknowledgments
This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. (Grant No. 51878250) and Huadong Engineering Corporation Limited. Their financial support is greatly appreciated.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yuan, A., Wang, T., Gu, J. et al. Numerical Investigation of Cracks at Girder Ends of Prefabricated Post-Tensioned Prestressed Concrete I-Girders. KSCE J Civ Eng 27, 4392–4405 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-023-2464-z
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-023-2464-z